- I recently sat through a presentation for a project.
The designer went through each page
that had good content and a smart solution.
Unfortunately, he read each word on the page
in a monotone voice
and made the solution duller than a butter knife.
In reality, presenting work is a little bit of theater.
It requires salesmanship and energy.
If you're not enthused about the concept,
why should anyone else be?
Here are a few things you can do
to help the reception of a presentation.
First, and this may seem obvious, dress to impress.
Even if it's a casual company,
it shows respect that you cared enough
to get dressed appropriately.
This doesn't require a business suit, but in your own style,
what you consider pulled together and professional.
When you begin the presentation, take command of the room.
You don't need to yell at anyone,
just make it clear you're confident and the expert,
which in fact you are.
You know what you're talking about
and you're open to the ideas of others.
You wouldn't want a doctor meeting with you
timidly, unsure, and nervous.
State what you want the final outcome
of the presentation to be.
People need to know what the goal is.
For example, you might say,
"By the end of this meeting,
I'd like to walk away with one design direction
and begin refining the visuals."
Otherwise, the viewers will determine their own goals
that may not be where you want to be.
When presenting, never read the text on the screen or page.
Most of the people you're presenting to can read.
You don't need to repeat what is there.
These are bullet points that you expand on and embellish.
If anyone has a question, stop and listen.
If you don't know the answer, it's okay to say,
"I don't have an answer for that right now,
but I'll find it."
Never ever say no.
There are too many designers that immediately kill
what might be an interesting idea,
because it doesn't seem possible or appropriate.
The client may suggest something entirely crazy,
like maybe we can build a spaceship and send it to Mars.
Somewhere in there is the real reason
they think this is a good idea.
They just don't know how to realize it.
I prefer to say yes and,
because anything is possible with the right resources.
Remember, clients aren't designers,
they don't have the vocabulary to express the design concept
and they can only suggest something they've already seen.
If someone stops you and says,
"Why can't we have 15 logos and no restrictions on color?"
The better response is, "That's interesting.
Why do you think that is right for this?"
Maybe they think the company values
are about no rules or restrictions.
You can work with that and might come up
with an interesting version of your solution.
Once you've completed the presentation,
ask for any comments or questions.
Stop, look, and listen.
Take your time to answer.
Look at the body language to get a sense
of the viewers' attitude
and listen to what really was asked,
not what you think it meant.
Sort of like a family dinner when your sister asks
why you changed your hairstyle.
You might yell back, "You're always criticizing me!"
Or simply answer the question, I wanted something easier.
Finally, when all is done,
state what the next step is moving forward
and restate the outcome and course
at the end of the meeting,
so it's clear we're all on the same page.
Designers tend to have a bad reputation with clients.
I've heard many complain that their last designer
yelled at them or flipped out at a meeting
if someone disagreed, or was a neurotic mess.
Stay away from this.
What we do is serious business, but be patient and kind.
Everyone in the room has the same goal,
for the project to succeed,
and throwing a chair because someone didn't like
your color palette, looks bad for all designers.