Presentation skills are essential in the creative field. You will have to sell your ideas to your teammates, boss and clients, over and over again. The more persuasive you are, the more successful you will be. Not everyone likes to speak in public: it usually helps if you stick to a “script” that you can rehearse ahead of time. Your presentation should be short and sweet, and it should explain your creative reasoning.
Remember that you will be graded for your presentation in this class.
What to Talk About
When presenting your work, talk about the following:
- Who is your client and what kind of project it is
- Who is your specific target audience (and I mean specific not: Anyone who likes…)
- Who is your competition (eg: other sites that do similar things – you can get a bit creative here)
- What is your client’s current look and feel
- What was the project’s goal
- What is your solution
- If you had concrete positive results, talk about it
Presentation Requirements
On presentation day, both in class and in the real world, use the following guidelines:
- Dress for the occasion (business casual: this does not mean jeans are cool)
- If the assignment is a redesign, show the original design, if possible.
- Speak directly to the clients (we the class are your “clients”) and present your design in a cohesive way
- Each element of the design must be supported by explanation
- Have knowledge of all aspects of your design so you can answer specific questions well
- Do not focus on specific techniques unless they are really relevant or if asked
- Please see the PDF for more specific details: Presentation Grading Checklist
How Do I start?
- Prepare, prepare, prepare.
- Try video taping yourself to see where you need to improve
- Ask a friend to listen to your presentation
- Try writing it down first, and then learn, so it sounds natural