How to Build an Evidence Board That Others Can Follow
An evidence board earns its keep when someone who has never seen your notes can read it and reach the same conclusions you did. That takes a little structure before you start pinning.
Start with the question
Write the question the board answers as a text label and place it at the top. "Who approved the payments?" is useful. "Case notes" is not. Every item you add should help answer the question, and anything that does not can wait in a pile off to the side.
Pin one fact per item
A note that holds a single claim can be linked to other single claims. A note with five facts forces you to connect all of it or none of it. Keep notes short, add the source in a line at the bottom, and use photos for people, places and documents you can show.
Place items by meaning, not by date
Put items that belong together near each other, and leave space between groups. Strings carry the relationships, so position only needs to keep the board readable. If sequence matters, add a dated label rather than lining everything up in a row.
Connect only what you can support
A string says "these two are related". Before you draw one, be able to say how. Use text labels near a string to name the relationship, and remove any link you cannot justify. A board with twenty solid links beats one with eighty guesses.
Check it with fresh eyes
Select your most connected item and look at what lights up. If the direct connections tell a clear story, the board works. If they surprise you, you have either found something important or drawn a link you should revisit.