3 tactics for presenting your work on Zoom

Have you ever presented your work and before you know it the meeting kinda went off the rails?

Ya… same 😅

When it comes to sharing your ideas, the tiniest details can make or break your ability to get buy-in and source the right feedback.

So here are three practical strategies you can use the next time it's your turn to lead CRIT 👇

🖥️ 3 tactics for presenting your work on Zoom

1 — Nail the intro slide

Before jumping right into UI, problem statements, etc…

I find it’s super helpful to begin your screen share with a visual outline of what you’re going to be talking about over the next ~X minutes.

Notice how in the example below I’m calling out the primary feedback I’m seeking before showing any concepts 👀

That way people can use your feedback prompts as a lens through which to view your demos.

This typically leads to higher quality feedback once the floor opens for discussion 💪

2 — Embed your prototype in a deck

Good presentations often demonstrate multiple concepts and weigh the pros and cons of each potential path.

When you’re giving a presentation like this, a great tactic to consider is showing your deck outline at all times 👀

Notice the table of contents on the left as a simple example 👇

This way when stakeholders are looking at your prototype, they also see the high level context for where you’re at in your story.

I've seen designers wrap concepts in other metadata too (ex: showing scope size or feature category alongside an embedded prototype).

The easier you can make it to follow along, the better feedback you’ll generate.

3 — Finish strong with a summary slide

Picture this… you’re on Zoom, someone has finished presenting, and now you’re spending the next ~15 minutes discussing as a group.

99% of the time the person leading the meeting is still sharing their screen.

That's why the last slide can be the most valuable real estate in your entire presentation.

So ask yourself… how can I get the most out of it?

One tactic I love is creating a little summary slide to serve as a visual aid for the rest of the meeting 👇

Some elements I love including:

• A clear name for each concept

• Mini (low-fi) mockups to jog people’s memory

• Pros and cons of each concept

• A question to kick off the discussion

What you include obviously depends on the goals of your presentation, but hopefully this sparks some ideas for your next CRIT 😉