The Creative Follow Through Process
Presenting with The Same Passion as You Design
As graphic designers, we draw from our creative brains and artistic capabilities to communicate ideas that inform, inspire, or grab the attention of our audiences.
We spend hours, days, and sometimes weeks developing ideas, creating artwork, and fine-tuning designs to match our desire for perfection—only to receive layers of revisions that counteract our thought process.
Imagine a world where clients adopt and fall in love with the first design concept you show them! We can’t avoid having revisions, but designers can take the initiative in the client’s perception of the design.
You see, designers often put all their energy into the actual design but ignore the way they present their work to the audience. Strong creative work deserves an equally compelling presentation. How we represent our ideas and work is the pedestal that ultimately lifts our design to success.
Ignoring this aspect creates a vacuum that’s readily filled with misdirected—or an excess amount of—feedback. But by properly presenting design work, we can whole-heartedly welcome client feedback, knowing our intent and story was clearly delivered. How designers present their work will differ between projects.
However, a flexible template can be used as a guide. Generally, design presentations should do five things.
- Describe the challenge. Recap the reason why the client needs this design.
- State the goal. Making sure the client’s goal was clearly understood is vital to the success of the design. Insert the client’s pain-point to remind them of their initial mentality and desire.
- Recap the steps. Pull words or phrases that the client used in the discovery phase. By presenting them with their own words, it makes it clear that they were understood and your work was aligned with their direction.
- Display the work in the best possible light. Present a variety of professional mockups that align with the brand. Always keep a clean and consistent presentation style.
- Conclude the presentation. Remind the client of next steps and thank them for their time.
Take a little extra time up front to present work professionally and you’ll be surprised how many rounds of revisions it can save you in the future.
Follow-through means to continue an action or task to its conclusion. If you’re swinging for a home run, you don’t stop swinging halfway. Work on your creative follow-through: present your designs with the same passion you used to create them.