Most science fair projects require a display board to organize information and present results of experiments. Many students use tri-fold display boards that unfold to 36″ tall by 48″ wide for this purpose.
Visuals such as charts and graphs are not essential components of every project, but they can make the project more captivating for judges and easier for viewers to grasp.
Layout
Once students have conducted and collected data for their experiment, it is imperative that they create a display board as this can make all the difference in how judges view it.
When creating a science fair project board, it is crucial to keep layout in mind. Like books, readers will read your project board from left to right and top to bottom – this means it must also include clear labels for everything on its surface.
Visual components, such as charts and graphs, can help make projects more visually stimulating for audiences. Contrasting colors can also help draw their focus. With these tips in hand, students will be able to produce professional-looking and attractive science fair project displays boards.
Materials
Most science fairs and teachers often have strict regulations about what must be included on a project display board, often restricting which types of information can be presented or how that information should be organized.
A successful science fair display board should include the scientific question, hypothesis, background information, experimental setup details, results and conclusions for any experiment undertaken as well as any graphs or images supporting these findings.
A good display board should incorporate eye-catching colors and graphics that relate to the project topic, charts or diagrams presenting non-numerical data or proposing models to help explain your results, as well as an online design tool to ensure it looks neat and professional.
Design
Once students have selected and collected materials for an experiment, it’s time to assemble a science fair display board. Creating an attractive display board can make or break a project!
Your science fair display board must be well-organized and visually appealing, including title, hypothesis, procedure and conclusions. Incorporating photos or diagrams that convey important information should also help the judges better comprehend your ideas. When using visual aids such as diagrams or photos to convey this data a summary caption must accompany these visual aids so they are easily understandable by judges.
An attention-grabbing title can pique judges’ interest and set an optimistic atmosphere for your project. Aim for creative or humorous titles; board should also be free from distracting elements such as clip art or bright colors that might distract judges.
Colors
Color can add aesthetic value and make your project stand out in a room full of other displays. Select shades that complement each other; dark ones usually look better and are easier on the eyes than brighter hues.
Take plenty of photos during your experiment to help demonstrate exactly what was done and why. Breaking up text with images makes the science fair project much simpler for judges to comprehend.
Before you use glue to put together your display board, arrange everything that you intend to include on it. Writing titles and text on pieces of paper first is far easier than directly writing them onto the board itself.
Text
Display boards should effectively communicate an experiment’s results without needing to explain everything verbally. They should include sections for background research, experimental design, data collection, analysis and conclusion – with easily read black or dark colored text large enough for viewing from four feet away.
Certain science fair rules or teachers may impose specific requirements regarding what information should be included on a project board, but generally speaking a project should contain: title, background information, problem or question that students tried to answer with their research, hypothesis and procedure and any significant charts and graphs as well as references if necessary – although any personal details such as postal addresses, emails addresses URLs social media accounts and QR codes should not be displayed publicly on it.