8 Steps to an Effective Design Review

Present your work, get good feedback, and move your project along

Photo by Campaign Creators on Unsplash

Is the way you present your design work as important as the design itself?

No. It’s more important.

You might create the best design in the world, but if you can’t articulate why it’s the best, you’ll have a hard time getting your team behind it. And if you can’t get your team behind it, it won’t get built. And if a world-class design only lives in Sketch, is it really world-class?

Effectively presenting your design work is crucial. You have to be strategic about it. And if you’re a more junior designer, skillfully handling a design review will set you apart from the rest.

To be clear, I’m not talking about the comfort of presenting to a room full of people who can define kerning. Getting feedback in a low-pressure environment from other designers is helpful. But that isn’t what this article is about.

I’m talking about life and death presentations. Your design is up on the chopping block, and your reputation is hanging in the balance.

Okay, that’s a little dramatic. What I mean is effectively presenting to stakeholders and clients to create consensus. You need their approval, not just their feedback. Decisions need to be made. These stakeholders aren’t other designers who speak the same language as you. They have different expertise and a different agenda. You are working to rally them behind your design. A lot is riding on this design review.

So how do you get helpful feedback, create consensus, and move your design forward? Here are eight steps I take when presenting my work:

1. Write down your reasoning.
2. Understand the people in the room.
3. Set the stage.
4. Tell a story.
5. Present the solution.
6. Listen more than you talk.
7. Respond, decide, move on.
8. Recap and follow up.

Let’s dive into it!

1. Write down your reasoning