Best Ways To Present Engineering Design Concepts

Not getting another interview after your portfolio presentation? Maybe this is why 👇 I've sat in many portfolio presentations. I also work with numerous mentees, helping shape their stories. The biggest mistake I always see is not showcasing the why behind your work. Context. So many presentations go like this: - Hi, it me 👋 - Here's my first case - Here is a persona I made - Here is another persona I made - Here is an arbitrary user flow - Here is a sketch I made - Here is a wireframe I made - Here is the final solution - I learned a couple of things Your presentation should be a story, not a simple show and tell. Don't just tell your audience WHAT you did. Tell them WHY you did it. The why connects your thought process to your design. We want to hear what drove your decisions. Paint a vivid picture of the challenges you faced, the insights you stumbled upon, and the brainstorms that led to breakthroughs. What separates you from other designers is how you think and your design decisions. ✅ Frame your failures ✅ Dissect your decisions ✅ Incorporate your successes ✅ Create a beginning, middle, and end ✅ Show the path from initial idea to final Each slide and each statement should reveal a bit more about your thinking process. Details matter. Subtleties matter. They all add up to a powerful narrative. When your presentation is infused with purpose and passion, your work shines. It demonstrates your technical skills and your capacity for critical thinking, problem-solving, and empathetic understanding. And that's what sets you apart. Not just the sheer quality of your work but also the depth of thought put into it. Make them remember what you did and why you did it. Because, in the end, it's the why that truly matters. ------------------------------------- 🔔 Follow: Mollie Cox ♻ Repost to help others 💾 Save it for future use

Let's understand how to communicate technical concepts to Non-technical stakeholders. 1. Use Analogies and Metaphors: One of the best ways to explain technical concepts is to relate them to something more familiar. Example: If you're explaining cloud storage, you could compare it to a bank. Just as we store money in a bank rather than keeping it at home, we store data in the cloud rather than on our local machines. 2. Visual Aids and Diagrams: A picture can often convey what words cannot. Example: If explaining how a database works, a simple diagram showing how data is input, stored, retrieved, and displayed can be more intuitive than a lengthy description. 3. Simplify the Language: Avoid jargon and technical terms as much as possible. Example: Instead of saying "We're migrating the database to a new server," you might say "We're moving our data to a new home to make things run smoother." 4. Stories and Use Cases: Describe how a technical feature or change translates to a real-world scenario or use case that the stakeholder can relate to. Example: If introducing a new authentication feature, you can describe a story where "Mary, a user, logs in, and instead of just a password, she now also confirms her identity using a code on her phone, ensuring her data remains even safer." 5. Relate to Business Objectives: Stakeholders care about the impact on the business. Always link technical changes or features to business benefits. Example: If suggesting the adoption of a new tech stack, explain how "This new technology can help us deliver features to our customers 20% faster, which means more revenue in the long run." 6. Interactive Demonstrations: Sometimes, showing is more effective than telling. Example: If introducing a new software tool, rather than describing its features, give a quick live demo to show its advantages. 7. Feedback Loops: After explaining, always ask for feedback or questions. This ensures that the listener understands and provides an opportunity to clarify any doubts. Example: After discussing a new data analytics tool, you might ask, "Does this make sense in terms of how you foresee using the data for your quarterly reports?" 8. Use Real Numbers: When discussing technical improvements, using quantifiable metrics can help stakeholders grasp the impact. Example: Instead of saying "Our website will load faster," say "Our website will load in 2 seconds instead of 10, improving user satisfaction and potentially increasing our sales." 9. Reiterate Importance Without Technicalities: Even if they don’t understand all technical aspects, stakeholders should walk away knowing why it's essential. Example: If suggesting a cybersecurity upgrade, you might say, "While the technicalities are complex, the bottom line is that this change makes our customer data much safer from potential threats." BA Helpline #businessanalysis #businessanalyst #businessanalysts #ba #stakeholders #stakeholdermanagement

INDUSTRIAL DESIGNERS: how to show the thinking behind the design ——— Most stakeholders weren’t present for the messy part. They didn’t see the tradeoffs, constraints, or dead ends that shaped the outcome. When you only show the final result, the work feels arbitrary. Not wrong, just unexplained. Storytelling fixes that. Not as polish or performance, but as context. It makes your thinking visible to people who don’t speak design. “Identified pain point. Reduced assembly time 30%” is accurate, but empty. Now describe what happened. "I watched someone struggle with the latch for the third time cursing the design. I realized the problem was placement and sketched six new solutions. The one that worked rotated everything 40 degrees. Then it just made sense and people stopped fighting it." That sequence matters. Failed prototypes, killed concepts, cost fights, naming debates. That’s the work. When people see how you got there, the decision stops looking subjective and starts looking earned. No story, no impact. ——— Craftedby.agency

Most engineering demos walk through what was built. The great ones show why it matters. This year at Square, my team shipped aggressively. New features, fast iterations, demos to engineers, leadership, and all the way up to the C-suite. Along the way I noticed a pattern: the demos that landed weren't the most technically impressive, they were the ones that told a story. "We added a modifier button" is fine. "Baristas needed a faster way to customize drinks during rush hour" is better. So I wrote up the framework we used. It boils down to: - Lead with a person, not a feature - Name the pain before you show the fix - Show the happy path first, save the build details for the end - Keep it tight, 1 to 3 minutes, not 10 Whether you're showing work to your team or the CEO, the fix for a flat demo usually isn't more polish. It's more story. Full framework here: https://lnkd.in/ehURdBUK

5-step guide to presenting your work: Step 1: Start with the “Why”. Design without context is like watching a movie halfway through. Lead with the problem you’re solving. (Who’s it for? What’s the struggle?) This keeps your audience in the loop right from the start. Step 2: Sell the Journey, Not Just the Destination. It’s tempting to go straight to that finished mockup, but the process is half the story. Share early sketches, user feedback, even that wild version that didn’t make it (we all have one, don’t worry). It shows how much thought went into it – and makes your final design shine even brighter. Step 3: Speak Their Language. If you’re in a room of marketers, skip the tech talk. Instead of “responsive grids,” try “this scales perfectly on any device.” Tailor the pitch so it clicks with their world. Step 4: Be Ready for Questions (like a Pro). "Why blue?" and "Could we move this?" are coming for you. Don’t be defensive – be ready with your “why” for each choice. (Turns out, blue calms users down) Step 5: End on Impact. Wrap it up by emphasizing how this design change is going to make things better – faster sign-ups, a smoother experience, or fewer customer complaints. Make the impact feel real to everyone in the room. P.S. At the end of the day, good design speaks for itself, but great presentation gets it heard.

Ever had your best design idea end up in the trash? Here’s how to make sure they “get it” next time👇 Even the most creative concepts can end up in the bin if stakeholders don’t see the purpose. From my experience, here’s how to keep your ideas safe: 1️⃣ Set the Scene ↳ Skipping the setup leads to confusion. Share the creative brief, roles, and timelines so everyone understands the big picture. When stakeholders get the context, they’re more likely to buy into your vision. 2️⃣ Define the Challenge ↳ Ideas need a story. I always frame my concept around the problem it solves. Explaining the challenge provides context on their problem statement and shows that the solution is necessary, not just “nice to have.” 3️⃣ Show You Understand Their Needs ↳ One thing I’ve learned: stakeholders love to feel understood. Present your research, insights, and moodboard to prove that you get what they want. It’s not just about the design but about solving their problems. 4️⃣ Turn Insights into Design Choices ↳ Don’t just show a design—show the why. When I link each design choice back to specific insights, I’ve found that stakeholders see the decisions as logical and essential, not subjective or “artsy.” 5️⃣ Present Elements as Solutions ↳ Every design element should be a solution to a problem. I explain each one briefly but with purpose. When stakeholders see your design as a series of solutions, they see its value. 6️⃣ Speak in Results ↳ Metrics are everything. I focus on KPIs and how my design supports business goals. Results make it real. Stakeholders may not understand colour theory, but they understand “increased engagement” or “better brand alignment.” 7️⃣ Invite Collaboration ↳ This one’s key. Always invite feedback and questions to make stakeholders feel included. It’s a win-win: they feel heard, and I get insights into what they’re really looking for. It’s the best way to turn “no” into “yes.” Do you agree? Let me know in the comments ♻️ Repost if you found these tips useful ❤️ Join my weekly newsletter where I dive deep into design trends, creative growth, and how to level up your career. Link in the comments below!

Technical drawings can be powerful storytelling tools, not just construction documents. Once in a while, you can use technical drawings to showcase both your design concept and technical expertise without going too abstract. In the below image, I tested creating ventilation diagrams using gradients in Illustrator, combined with technical details and human scale references. ☀️ The result? A drawing that communicates clearly while maintaining visual interest. Here's the thing: it's all about visual hierarchy. ✔️ Yes, these drawings don't replace construction documents. But they're incredibly useful for: → Portfolio presentations that demonstrate technical competency → Client presentations that need clarity over artistic flair → Concept comprehension during design development → Bridging the gap between pure diagrams and working drawings The sweet spot is when your drawing is precise enough to show you understand the technical side, yet refined enough to tell your design story. What's your go-to tool for technical presentation drawings?

How to present concepts to clients: > Arrange them in a grid 🟩🟩🟩 > Draw them from the same perspective 🟨🟧🟩 > Draw them at the same resolution  🟦🟪🟫 > Use underlays: CAD or Photographs speed the process up, stop unrealistic proportions and reduce errors. > Explain mechanisms with thumbnail cross sections. If it is too complex explain it with CAD. ⚙️ > Annotate & label each concept so it can be referenced later in discussion. 📝 > Don’t get hung up on drawing quality. If it conveys the idea that is enough. Refinement is better done in CAD against real dimensions 🎯 > If there’s an image that shows how something will work or has a similar aesthetic. Add it to the page. It all helps communication. 🗣️ > Don’t copy and paste, even if the concept is similar draw it again with subtle variations. Each concept should handle each feature differently. 🎨 > If your design thinking has moved on from the initial brief, take the clients on the journey by presenting the ideas like a train of thought. 💭🚂 ID concept sketching (or Ai) is about clear, efficient, effective, unbiased, honest communication. All of the above points aim to help produce pages that achieve this. * At very early stages on projects or for project overviews it’s fine to present in a more artistic way but for the core 90% of design development, I find grids are best.

🔥 TRICKS AND TIPS FOR SUCCEDING AT ENGINNERING DESIGN IN FS 🚀 The goal of the Engineering Design Event (ED) is “to evaluate the student’s engineering process and effort that went into the design of a vehicle, meeting the intent of the competition.” . While strong engineering knowledge is key, presentation and preparation also play a major role. 🎯 Having seen a range of performances—from Bern Racing Team / Bern Formula Student skipping ED at Formula Student Alpe Adria 2021 (Damian Schmid confessed me later in that night that they prioritized scrutineering), to the perfect execution of that winning machine that was Rennteam Stuttgart CV / Rennteam Uni Stuttgart e.V. led by Luca Bruhnke and Jennifer Belz—I can say success is about more than just technical knowledge. 🏆 1️⃣ The Introduction Speech 🎤 Judges typically give the team captain a few minutes to present the project. Use this opportunity wisely. You have the chance to impress judges with the car’s technical highlights and team achievements. One of the best presentations I’ve seen was the Porsche 911 GT3 RS (link in the comment) . While crafted by professionals, FS teams can learn from its structure and delivery. 🔹 DO: Highlight your most impressive engineering features! ⚙️ 🔹 DON'T: Waste time listing team members' names or mentioning generic designs like "spaceframe and double wishbone." 2️⃣ Preparing Your Box 🏁 First impressions matter. Judges will subconsciously link the professionalism of your presentation with the quality of your engineering work. ✅ Dress Professionally: Wear clean, ironed team shirts. Keep your hands clean and be well-groomed. ✅ Showcase Your Best Work: Set up a table (ideally covered with a black tablecloth, like Rennstall Esslingen - the best I saw) displaying the most outstanding part your team has developed. Judges like to touch and examine parts. 🛠️ ✅ Highlight Comparisons: Show an old vs. new part to illustrate engineering improvements. 📊 3️⃣ Make It Memorable 🌟 Small details can leave a lasting impression on judges. Here are simple but effective tricks: 🎩 Distinct Team Identity: TU Brno Racing wears self-designed bow ties, adding a unique touch. 🎭 Dramatic Reveals: Polimarche Racing Team at Formula Student Czech Republic 2017 kept their car (Peacock II) hidden under an Italian flag during the intro speech, unveiling it dramatically at the end. Such details make teams stand out. 🚗💨 By following these tricks, you can enhance your team's ED performance and gain valuable points. Preparation, professionalism, and creativity set you apart from the competition. 🏎️🏆 🔥 Good luck! 💪

How to present design directions like a pro 👇 ——— Early in the design process you’re making a big mess in Figma and experimenting with dozens of concepts to see what feels right. Suppose you narrow in on 6 designs that show a lot of potential. The mistake many designers make is presenting these as 6 separate concepts to the team 😬 That's why I like thinking of building software as exploring a cave Your role as the designer is to: 👣 Venture ahead 🔦 Illuminate potential routes 💬 Share your findings with the group ☝️ Propose a direction 💨 Help get the team there The cave analogy forces you to create a mental map and identify distinct routes that your team can take. Each route might contain various concepts, but that’s not important just yet. First, you need to help stakeholders choose a high-level direction Here's on way I do it 👇 My go-to framework for presenting concepts is to establish a spectrum I begin by asking myself, “What’s the main variable that will dictate what we design and ship for this project?” Then I anchor my routes at key points along that spectrum. Couple of examples below: Many times the main difference between directions is appetite (how much time/resources we’re willing to invest). I'll showcase one design concept per route to give stakeholders an idea of what it COULD look like at each investment level Another one I used a lot at Maven was power vs. simplicity Take email marketing for instance... Should we allow instructors to customize their own automation systems, or design an 80/20 solution that works right out of the box? There are a bunch of other tactics you can use. So I did a full write-up to help you present design directions like a pro 👇 https://lnkd.in/eSxFWQWJ