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I was on a client call today explaining why I went with a certain brand direction and halfway through I realized I wasn't explaining anything. I was figuring it out on the call.
Like.. the strategy doc exists and the rationale is in there. but the thing that came out was even better than what I had, and I think that's because I had to make it understandable for someone who's not in my head for 3 weeks.
Not sure if that's a bad thing or not? I think the reason presenting design work feels awful sometimes (at least for me) is because my thinking isn't done yet and I can feel myself finishing it in real time and there's nowhere to hide.
I've been trying to just... accept it? Like, stop treating the presentation as the thing after the work. It might be the work.
Still figuring that out tbh
It's for sure really hard to present design decisions when we feel as if nothing is ever considered "done". I think designers index pretty high on the perfectionism scale which makes it so difficult to feel like anything is ever complete. I think putting ourselves in positions...
Hardest part for me is that I'm not really the best at vocalizing my decisions, as it always looks or seems better in my head. When I try to say it, sometimes it comes up wrong, and that's been pretty frustrating at times.
I 100% understand that frustration! If it was only as easy as "Why can't you just see it the way I see it in my mind?!?!" haha
But for real, I think the more designers present their work the more they are forced to, while designing, make a more conscious effort to document...
That's a great idea. I'm also thinking about making a deck with some of my favorite designs so that I can just walk clients through it, instead of trying to speak it out every time.
The presentation being the work is a real thing. Some of my best strategy decisions came out of trying to explain a direction to a client and realizing the explanation was sharper than the doc. That pressure to make it land for someone outside your head forces clarity.
đź‘Ť
• Mar 21
I am facing the same problem, I am not really good at verbalizing things that are on my mind and it's pretty frustrating, so i've been working more at understanding and communication maybe that will help me to clear my mind and understand my own thoughts before explaning.
These bears are so CUTE!!!
Have you tried doing a dry run with a llm? I've found it pretty helpful to get my thoughts in order and distilled down to the important bits. It's great practice for articulating out loud too and asking if my explanation could have landed better, how, where to cut and so on
It is always like that, mainly on branding works. Because, it is kinda designers’ gut feeling that this will work but you can’t explain it to clients🤣
Nice work
Honestly, totally. I always improv the presentation speech because sometimes the message might change depending on the audience. You can prepare all you want but some degree of improv is always gonna be necessary when trying to explain whats i your head to someone else
Looks really fun
I feel like explaining work to someone else exposes all the parts that aren’t fully formed yet but at the same time, it kind of forces the idea to become clearer in a way it wouldn’t if you just sat with it.
looks so cool.
nice
Actually that could be messy cause sometimes most of our creative works comes during the work i don't know i feel same too, its like asking a bricklayer is all the bricks to be used for a building would be concrete or cement
I like your POV
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Good Job
Editorial or commercial — which hero closes the sale?
Option A whispers. Oversized serif, cream, editorial pacing. You feel the brand before you read a word.
Option B speaks first. Clean sans, red cuts through, products visible above the fold. No waiting.
Same Figma file. Same Liquid codebase. Two completely different conversations with the customer.
Which direction would you take to production?
23 voted
85%
4 voted
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option A colour is nice
What clients can prepare to help speed up a website project?
Sometimes a business needs a new website sooner than a typical project timeline allows.
While every project still requires strategy, design, and development, there are a few things clients can prepare that often help move the process forward faster:
• content drafts or key messaging
• photos, brand assets, and visual materials
• examples of websites they like (and don't like)
• information about their target audience
• service descriptions and offers
• testimonials, reviews, or case studies
• business goals and conversion priorities
The more information available at the start, the less time is spent waiting for decisions, gathering materials, and revising content later.
The smoother the preparation, the smoother the project!
That's nice!
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