IDIAMM

Some of you will be experiencing standing up infront of your peers and presenting for the first time as you start your uni adventure in design, others will have almost 3 years experience. Let me break the bad news – you will always be presenting as a designer which is why developing communication skills and presentation techniques is very important. WHY? Because as a designer you have to be a salesperson – fact. You have to SELL your concept to your new client, you have to SELL your design direction to your new boss, you have to SELL your design change to a contractor on site. How do you overcome the nerves, the anxiety and the stress?

1. Confidence in your scheme. How? Ask yourself every possible question and if you can’t answer it or justify your decision making, then find the answer. If you know everything about it, inside and out, why it works and is the best solution to a problem, then what have you got to worry about? Yes design is about opinion re style however justifying it with ergonomics, functionality, practicality and creativity is hard to argue against!!

2. Practise practise practise. Walking into a pitch cold doesn’t always fill you with confidence. Why spend 4 weeks 12 hour days designing something amazing but then don’t spend time preparing to really tell everyone how amazing it is? A good design with a poor presentation is a 50% fail. An incomplete design with a good pitch is a 50% win. A good design with a good pitch is 100% win.Team up with your fellow students to rehearse and get first hand feedback on what you don’t see or hear…..Learn to use your hands to explain and describe things as it will relax you too!

3. Learn the script but don’t read it. Why? because good communication requires eye contact and a smile to exude confidence in what you are SELLING! Break down your scheme into key stages, write bullet points with a story arc so you know where you need to get too to finish that discussion point. Then tether them together.
Write out your speech if it helps word for word, then make sure you highlight key points to get to to close out one stage and flow into the next one. Then make it your own, adlib, add your personality and with good flow with breaks. Ask yourself questions then answer them as a good way of getting from stage to stage.

4. Breath. It helps and keeps you calm!

5. Engagement is required in a good pitch. Make it relatable to the audience so bring them into your design and the journey. Design is like maths, the working out is just as important. Always have a SOAR (subject, objective, action, response) to describe your design issues and problem solving abilities and the final outcomes. It helps justify your design and solidifies your decision making.

6.Enjoy them because you will be doing more, be it contractor workshops, client pitches and lastly and most importantly – job interviews…who better to SELL yourself than the one who knows you best YOU…Sooner you get into good habits, the better!!