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Articulating Design Decisions
Book notes for learning to present your work and get it approved
In addition to being devoted craftspeople, designers need to be excellent communicators in order to be truly great at their jobs. Recently, I set out to improve my skills at stakeholder management and negotiating feedback, and to do so I picked up a book that had been recommended to me. It turned out to be incredibly helpful and I now recommend that same book to other designers I mentor.
In this book, Tom Greever writes about moving past the frustration Product Designers often experience with their stakeholders by becoming better at selling and explaining their ideas. Building influence, Greever points out, means being seen as a valued consultant rather than just an executor, which is a much richer experience to have as a designer.
While I recommend you purchase Greever’s book to support his work and learn more in-depth about his point of view and framework, here are some notes and insights from my read in hopes this book can be helpful to you too.
The Designer’s Posture
- Junior designers often present their work in a way they believe displays expertise, but that can actually make them look arrogant or defensive in the eyes of their stakeholders. Tom Greever thinks the…
