How to confidently communicate design decisions as a young designer
And how to get buy-in from major stakeholders
I always wondered how experienced designers were so good at responding to feedback and getting stakeholders onboard — was it a skill they developed over their career or just a natural talent they had?
At my first job as a designer, I would regularly present my design concepts to stakeholders. They would ask me tough questions on the spot and I would stumble over my thoughts and lose my audience almost immediately. I wasn’t able to get the stakeholders onboard.
I knew what I was doing as a designer, I just couldn’t communicate it well. I would see other designers at the company present concepts with little pushback and get everyone onboard almost immediately. I always wondered, will I ever reach the point where I can confidently communicate my design decisions?
Over the years as an in-house product designer, I finally figured out the answer. Yes, it is possible to develop this skill. All of the designers that I looked up to were in my shoes at some point in their career.
Prepare and practice.
Well-practiced skills don’t require conscious attention. -Susan M. Weinschenk
This may seem obvious, but it’s one of the most essentials steps to succeed. To be a good designer, you need to be a good communicator. Communication is how you get people onboard with your decisions. Clearly articulating your reasoning for design decisions will not only get stakeholders onboard, but will allow stakeholders to trust you as a designer. Like all good skills, this takes practice.
Write out a list of possible questions people may ask in a meeting and practice responding to questions beforehand.
The most effective strategy that has helped me build my communication skills is to write down possible questions and answers. As you are iterating designs and exploring concepts, start creating a list of questions and responses that you may receive when presenting. This process helps you think about the answers beforehand, giving you time to prepare and practice how you are going to say it.
Better yet, go to a quiet space in your office and practice the questions out-loud.
You won’t be able to prepare for every possible question, but you will be more confident during the meeting for the questions you did prepare. And the more prepared you are for the meeting, the better you will do.
Set the stage.
When presenting your designs, some of your stakeholders may be seeing it for the first time. You don’t want stakeholders falling behind and asking questions that were addressed weeks ago. Make sure you get everyone up to speed at the beginning of every meeting to eliminate friction.
Dedicate a few minutes at the beginning of every meeting to give a summary of where you are at and what you have done since you last spoke with the team.
You also want to utilize your time wisely. Sometimes, you only meet once a week with your stakeholders. Make sure you put thought into how you present the information so they are asking the questions you want them to ask. It’s all about navigating the discussion effectively.
Guide your presentation so stakeholders are asking the questions you want them to ask.
Bring evidence.
Always come to the meeting prepared to show your concept explorations. This will help your case when showing why one concept works over the other. It shows that you have already thought about different solutions and that you have arrived at the best option.
If an opportunity presents itself in a meeting, be prepared to show the pros and cons to a concept and why you chose to explore another option.
You have done the hard work already. So, prove it to your stakeholders. Show the reasons why one concept is better than the other. Let them know you made logical decisions to arrive at your final design.
A helpful tool to organize your thoughts is a pros and cons list. For concepts you explore, make sure you have a thoughtful list of what works and what doesn’t. This will help logically organize your thoughts, create a strong argument, and get more people onboard with your process.
Develop relationships.
Even if you don’t interact with your stakeholders daily, it’s important to build a connection with the people you work with.
Once you develop a relationship with your stakeholders, they will start to understand you as a designer and as a person. This connection leads to better discussion and better understanding in design meetings. Whether you are starting a new job or have been with a company for 5+ years, it’s never too late to build a relationship. It will only benefit you.
You will start to understand how they think, how they digest information, how they focus their attention, and how they make decisions.
Understanding the way people are the way they are will help you craft the way to communicate to them and get them onboard quicker with your designs.
Why is this important?
The best designers get buy-in from stakeholders with as little friction as possible. And those designers are able to do that because of how they communicate. And being a good communicator is essential in this field of work.
If you are a product design newbie, check out my article on Top 5 mistakes UX designers make early in their career. You’ll find some more helpful tips on how to better communicate as a designer.
