Designers’ Presentation Skills: Questions Matter More Than Solutions
Charlie Deets mentioned a communication technique that I find especially practical when he shared the Internet Computer design process.
When designers present, their minds are packed with the fullest context and information, which makes it easy to get lost in the details. But what the audience often needs is different. His approach is simple: don’t rush to lay out the background—instead, get to the problem itself (Question) as quickly as possible, and only then present your solution (Solution).
More importantly, if there are multiple options to choose from, clearly present the pros and cons of each, so the team can make decisions intuitively. That way, the audience won’t get drowned in information.
I’ve tried this myself and found that it really does make a difference. I used to want to explain the entire thought process, but now I’m cutting out 70–80% of the setup and pointing straight to the core problem. The discussion becomes more focused, and feedback comes faster.
Another thing I remember vividly is the mindset of the collaborative designer that he described. When you’re confident enough, you’re actually more able to listen to other people’s ideas—and even more willing to try different directions. I find this logic really interesting: confidence isn’t meant to be used as defense; it opens the door to experimentation.
Original link: https://youtube.com/watch?v=5DtshsDjUKg&si=dg0bDbLTxlXbkTX4
Charlie Deets mentioned a communication technique that I find especially practical when he shared the Internet Computer design process.
When designers present, their minds are packed with the fullest context and information, which makes it easy to get lost in the details. But what the audience often needs is different. His approach is simple: don’t rush to lay out the background—instead, get to the problem itself (Question) as quickly as possible, and only then present your solution (Solution).
More importantly, if there are multiple options to choose from, clearly present the pros and cons of each, so the team can make decisions intuitively. That way, the audience won’t get drowned in information.
I’ve tried this myself and found that it really does make a difference. I used to want to explain the entire thought process, but now I’m cutting out 70–80% of the setup and pointing straight to the core problem. The discussion becomes more focused, and feedback comes faster.
Another thing I remember vividly is the mindset of the collaborative designer that he described. When you’re confident enough, you’re actually more able to listen to other people’s ideas—and even more willing to try different directions. I find this logic really interesting: confidence isn’t meant to be used as defense; it opens the door to experimentation.
Original link: https://youtube.com/watch?v=5DtshsDjUKg&si=dg0bDbLTxlXbkTX4