How to Help the Judges Understand

That’s a great question. Sometimes, you will encounter highly technical judges on the panel, and they tend to focus on their specific areas of expertise. It’s important to anticipate their questions, as their background can influence the relevance of their inquiries. If you know there will be engineering or scientific judges, understanding their expertise before your presentation can help you prepare for the types of questions they might ask. You might not have all the solutions or answers, but you should be able to demonstrate that you have thought critically about the problem and have some ideas for addressing it.

For non-technical judges, you should aim to present your solution in a simple manner. Start with an easy-to-understand explanation, then delve into the technical details, and wrap up with a clear summary that ties back to the big picture. A strong approach for conveying complex technical solutions is to use analogies or similes. By comparing your solution to something more familiar or simple, you can help the judges better understand the technical aspects of your proposition. Always look for ways to draw parallels to familiar concepts, which will aid in their comprehension of your solution.