PROJECT DISPLAY CONSTRUCTION IDEAS

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After you have the report finished, you should have the framework for constructing your display. Your display will be a visual aid that will briefly state all the important aspects of your project: problem, hypothesis, experiment description, results/analysis, conclusions and applications. Size limits will be your only restriction, officially being 4 feet wide by 30 inches deep by 9 feet tall. The main focus of a display is to present information, but the trick is to attract attention. Do this in discrete amounts, for instance: use a combination of eye-catching color with a darker color, like magenta and black. Or, if your project allows, use color pictures on your display. The best way to attract attention is to experiment with the size and shape of the materials on your display.

MATERIALS

Wood Display: A wood display is the most popular display used because one is cheaply and easily constructed in your own garage or back yard. A wood display can be taken apart for ease in shipping, and may be put back together easily. It can be repainted for recycled use. The drawbacks are the heavy weight and the time it takes to assemble before the fair.

TIP: If you don’t have the time or carpenter skills to build a wooden display, you might want to consider that quite a few science fair seniors are willing to sell their old wood displays at an affordable price.

Foamboard:A foamboard is also a popular display material because it is cheap and can be easily assembled and decorated. It is light and professional looking if decorated correctly. The most typical setup for this type of display is a three-paneled table model.

TIP: If the foamboard is colored, it is best to use the same or similar colored electrical or duct tape around the edges of the foamboard material. This helps prevent edge crunching and gives a professional appearance. This foamboard material may also be used as attachable front panels for a different type of display (e.g. the plexiglas display).

Plexiglas: Plexiglas is a very nice material to make displays out of, however the cost is usually pretty high. If you can get your hands on some, Come up with a simple design and use foamboard or stiff posterboard to hold all your display materials and then use Velcro to attach them to the plexiglas. (I have a sample picture available)

Piping and Cloth: Something that has become popular is to take simple PVC piping material and connect it to form a frame and use a cloth material (or printed sign) which stretches around this framework to create a backboard. Be careful with the printing for this one, it could look unprofessional if the font is too big and there is not enough information provided on the backdrop.

Miscellaneous Materials: None of the above examples suit your taste? Try materials you can buy from any Sears or Home Depot. For instance, try using a semi-transparent grated plastic material used on ceiling lights as a backboard material. It’s cheap and easy to work with. Other suggestions: For corkboard or cardboard, coat with a layer of the spatter-type spraypaint (bought at Home Depot or Lowe's) for aesthetic purposes.

SAMPLE TABLETOP DISPLAY

SAMPLE FLOOR DISPLAY

(TOP)

(BOTTOM OR MIDDLE)

(COMPLETED MODEL)