Let’s get started!<\/p>\n\n\n
Feature Update:<\/span> Use our featurePresent Your Design Concepts<\/span> to your clients and get immediate feedback.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n Imagine you’ve received instructions to create different designs from your clients. You’ve gone back with your notes, and over a week or so, you’ve come up with different design ideas. Now, you’re ready to present it to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, wait! Don’t rush into presenting your graphic design concepts without adequate preparation. In this section, we will examine how to present your graphic design concepts and ideas to your client, and gather feedback to meet their business goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A design concept is the first step you take to solve a user problem. It starts from getting the brief, understanding the problem, knowing the brand and its users, speaking to different stakeholders, etc. This leads to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, it leads to visual layouts that could be flowcharts, digital screens, user journeys etc. that elucidate the design concept. All of these come together to solve user problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, before we get to the details, here’s a short infographic that summarises the top seven ways to present your design concepts. Don’t forget to learn the 7 other ways that we’ve outlined after Tip #5.<\/p>\n\n\n Know who you are presenting to and customize your presentation accordingly. Knowing your client is essential for effective communication. It helps you connect with them better when you know what they\u2019re looking for<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are a few questions you can get answers to before the big day:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also Read: How to create a logo from scratch?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you already know who your audience is going to be, you may reach them either by email or phone to know what they expect to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If not, you could connect with them on platforms such as LinkedIn, or Twitter, and gauge their expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You could even send a short note like the one below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey [First name], I\u2019m scheduled to present the different design options I\u2019m working to you on [mention date, time]. Could you please tell me if you\u2019re looking for anything specific that you want me to cover? I\u2019ll ensure I put it in. See you later! \ud83d\ude42<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Put yourself in your client\u2019s shoes and try to understand them and their needs. Always remember that your presentation could flop if you present without knowing your client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Take the time to prepare your design presentation. Obviously, the key elements of your presentation will be the different designs, typefaces, fonts, colors, Call to Actions (CTAs), user experience etc. But, here are a few elements that you need to talk about in your design work:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use one slide to set the context of the design project and describe the business challenge at hand. For example, a business challenge could be driving more signups via a landing page or reducing customer churn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Briefly explain the instructions you received, project goals and end objectives you’re trying to achieve, etc. Setting the context right shows what you’ve set yourself up to do, and helps everybody stay on the same page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember you’re here to showcase your work, and not to hand out manuscripts. So, make sure you use a good presentation template that does not have too much text. Instead, the designs and visuals themselves must tell the story. All your slides help you to build a narrative, so use them that way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether you’re talking about different approaches to solve your problem or the project goals, remember to have a focal point on each slide. This focal point is the key takeaway from a slide, which helps the audience remember key points. And, don’t forget to summarise all the major takeaways in one slide at the end of your design presentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No matter what your design presentation is about, ultimately, it should include things that the audience cares about. They’re listening to your design presentation to solve a business challenge. So, always ask yourself if the information you’re including in your presentation is addressing that point or not. If not, it does not deserve a place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here’s a typical structure you could use to present your designs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you’re presenting your designs, remember to take a question-answer styled approach. What does that mean?<\/p>\n\n\n\n It means try and find answers to questions that were posed to you. For example, if you’re presenting the below design graphic, here are a few questions you could answer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Adopting a question-answer based approach while presenting your designs helps you be rationale-driven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n People connect to stories and remember them for a long time. So, structure your presentation like a story, tell them how your design came to life, the things that inspired you to create this design, the challenges you faced, and how you overcame them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your stories could revolve around:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Storytelling is the best way to engage your audience. Most clients are unfamiliar with the design process, so sharing your design process with your client will make them appreciate your hard work on the project. It will also help your client to understand the thought process behind your design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are two ways of presenting your designs: one to showcase different screens, and the other to weave in a real life use case. Let us look at these examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us assume that Dave has commissioned a design project to know the productivity of his employees. He prefers to get updates on his mobile phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example 1:<\/strong> One way of doing it is to show a few mobile screens that exhibit when an employee logs in and logs out, or the number of hours they spend on different tasks, or when he\/she takes a break. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Example 2:<\/strong> The other way of doing it is to show a real life use case of an employee – Michelle. In this case, you will need to speak to Michelle to understand how a typical work day in her life looks like. Create a questionnaire that helps you know facts about how she receives tasks, and how she goes about accomplishing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, present it to Dave in the form of a mobile app to track the productivity of a real employee. Explain via different screens to him, when she begins her day, how does she record her work, how she works on the feedback she receives, and how she tries to meet her objectives. At the end, if you can exhibit how much percentage (%) Michelle’s productivity can be enhanced via your designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Which one of the above would you prefer as a designer? Obviously Example #2! \u270c\ufe0f<\/p>\n\n\n\n And, as promised before, here are the rest of the 7 tips to present your designs to clients and win them:<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Less is more. Explain your designs briefly. Don\u2019t bore your client with a lot of information. Don\u2019t present too many design options and overwhelm your client. Remember, they\u2019re looking for a solution, and when you\u2019re presenting too many options, you\u2019re further confusing them rather than providing a solution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, don\u2019t take more than 20 minutes to present. Your client will lose interest in your presentation if you take too long. Avoid using too much text in your presentation. Steer clear of anything that will make your client lose focus on your designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every designer worth his\/her salt cares about User Experience (UX). And, user experience is not rocket science. There are no hard rules you need to follow. But, you need to follow certain principles. Principles that help meet you the objectives you set for yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, one principle of user experience is that you needn’t pack your design with too much text. Or, you need to have your Call To Action (CTA) buttons visible enough for viewers\/users to click on it. Or, you may need to use contrasting colors to convey the meaning of your designs. Such principles help you stick to your basics and present your designs in a clutter-free manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the below design, the CTA button is a little subtle, and designers can tweak it to their liking based on client feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n Besides, they portray you as a true designer, and not one who is still finding his\/her feet in the design world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Using fancy buzzwords, jargon, and trying to sound smart is one of the dumbest things you could do while creating your presentation. Your client will eventually lose interest when you invest a lot of time trying to sound smart rather than being smart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Highfalutin and superfluous words make you look stupid. Also, this would confuse your client. Your presentation should be understandable. Convey your message in a simple way. Try to sound clear, and comprehensible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most important thing while presenting is to have confidence in the work you\u2019re presenting. Lack of confidence could lead to a bad presentation, and you would end up losing your client. Here are a few tips to look confident while presenting:<\/p>\n\n\n\n One surefire way of being confident while presenting your designs is by being adequately prepared with your presentation. That beings us to the next topic, which is practising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, we borrowed this headline from Joe Sugarman’s legendary book titled “The Adweek Copywriting Handbook<\/em>.” But, every bit of that headline is worth it before you present your designs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In order to deliver a killer presentation and win your client\u2019s trust, it\u2019s essential to prepare and practice beforehand. Try presenting your work to your peers or friends, listen to their opinions, and improvise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Record yourself while you practice, watch the recording later and rectify your mistakes. You could even use intuitive screen recording tools<\/a> such as Vmaker<\/a> to check how you appear while delivering your presentation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Make a list of questions that you\u2019re anticipating from your client and prepare to answer them. It\u2019s not easy to win your client\u2019s trust, but it is not impossible either. Obviously, it takes hard yards to get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 240,695 People Use Picmaker to Create Stunning Designs. You can too!<\/p>\n Ask your client to share their feedback when you wrap up your presentation. Be attentive and listen carefully to their feedback and note them down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let your client know that you care about their feedback. Be prepared to answer their questions. At times you may disagree with your client\u2019s feedback but never become defensive, and don\u2019t take criticism personally. Good feedback can help you improvise, so always be receptive to feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Explain to them how and when you will get back to them with updates to the designs. Keep the guessing to the bare minimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the best preparation, your design presentations can still go awry. In this section, we will look at some of the common mistakes to avoid while presenting your designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We captured all of it in a short infographic so you could use this as handy reference.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember that you’re trying to solve a problem using your design skills. The solution lies in the ingenuity of your ideas and approaches. So, all elements of your approach such as fonts, typefaces\/typography, primary and secondary colors, do not matter unless your design presentation solves the core objectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nHow To Present Graphic Design Ideas\/Concepts To Your Client<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
What Is A Design Concept?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.picmaker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/How-to-present-designs-and-win-clients-1-Picmaker.jpg\")
Tip #1 Know Your Audience<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nTip #2 Talking About Your Design Concept<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A. Set the context<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
B. Use a neat presentation template<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
C. Have a key takeaway in each slide<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
D. What does the audience really care about?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Tip #3 Presenting Your Design Decisions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Adopt](\"https:\/\/www.picmaker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/829DAE8B-D753-4133-A4FE-154963206B2C_1_201_a.jpeg\")
Tip #4 Tell Them a Story<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Tip #5 Show Real Life Use Cases<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.picmaker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/How-to-present-designs-and-win-clients-2-Picmaker.jpg\")
Tip #6 Keep It Simple<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tip #7 Know The UX Laws and Follow Them<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.picmaker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/6EEA303D-987C-4014-B813-ED0611198451_1_201_a.jpeg\")
Tip #8 Use Language that Everybody Understands<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tip #9 Be Confident<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Tip #10 Practice. Practice. Practice<\/strong>.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tip #11 Listen to Client Feedback and Document It<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5 Mistakes to Avoid While Presenting Your Designs<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
![\"Mistakes](\"https:\/\/www.picmaker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/blog-final-01.jpg\")
1. Focusing on the aesthetic, not on the problem<\/h3>\n\n\n\n