How to present designs

You design software for people to "use." But when you present designs, people "look" at it.

I'm not a big fan of presenting designs.

There are many reasons for this.

The most obvious problem is that when you present your design, your team is "looking" at it instead of "using" it. To evaluate a software design, you should try it out and see if it feels intuitive. After all, you're not creating a banner for people to look at.

Another problem with presentations is that designers often feel they need to "convince" others in the room. You may have heard the concept of getting buy-in. That mindset shifts the focus from making the best decisions to persuading others.

If you become aware of these problems, you can become a more effective product designer. You can still "present" your work, but you will do it in a way that focuses on making better decisions.

Despite these, some companies still ask designers to present designs. That being said, how should we present designs?

The first principle is to let the team "feel" your design. It's a productive way to spot weird user experiences.