How best designers make their design presentations?

Beyond the Slides: The Art of Storytelling in Design Presentations

Most designers say they want to improve their storytelling. But when it’s time to present their work, what do they do? They narrate slides. They explain the process, walk through decisions, and hope that clarity will win over the room.

Clarity is important, but storytelling isn’t just about making a slick deck—it’s about making people believe in your vision. A great story doesn’t just inform; it moves people. It persuades. It compels action.

Yet, designers keep making the same storytelling mistakes. Here’s what’s holding them back—and how to fix it.

1. Narration is Not Persuasion

If your presentation is just you reading slides, you’re not telling a story—you’re reciting one. And reciting doesn’t make people care. A great story doesn’t just explain what you did, but why it matters. Why should your audience pay attention? Why is this important right now? Your job is not just to present the work but to make people feel its impact.

Fix it:

• Instead of listing what you did, frame your presentation around the change—what problem you’re solving and how your work makes a difference.
• Use fewer slides with more impact. People remember emotions and moments, not endless bullet points.
• Shift from passive explanations to active persuasion. Instead of saying, “We updated the navigation for better usability,” try, “Users struggled to find critical actions. Our redesign cut frustration by 40%.”

2. No Hook, No Attention

Think about the last great movie you watched. It didn’t start with ten minutes of backstory—it pulled you in immediately. Too many designers waste precious time on unnecessary setup, losing the audience before they even get to the good part.

Fix it:

• Open with something unexpected: a bold statement, a powerful user insight, or a surprising data point.
• Drop people into the action. Instead of, “Here’s what we set out to do,” try, “Imagine you’re a first-time user trying to complete this task. You’re frustrated. You’re lost. That’s what we needed to fix.”
• Cut the fluff. Get to the good stuff fast.

3. Present a Vision, Not Just Work

Your stakeholders don’t just need to know what you made. They need to know why it matters and where it’s going next. When designers focus only on showing their process, they miss the bigger opportunity—to make their audience believe in the future they’re building.

Fix it:

• Show where the work fits into a larger story. What’s the bigger goal? How does this project move the company forward?
• Use language that shifts from deliverables to impact. Instead of, “We redesigned the dashboard,” say, “We’re unlocking a faster, more intuitive way for users to make decisions.”
• End with a strong takeaway. What should the audience remember? What do you need from them?

4. No Emotional Arc = No Connection

People don’t just make decisions based on logic—they make them based on emotions. Yet too many design presentations are dry, technical, and focused only on rational arguments. A great story creates contrast—between what was and what’s possible. Between frustration and delight. Between problem and breakthrough.

Fix it:

• Bring in real user stories. How did this design change someone’s experience?
• Show the stakes. What was frustrating before? What’s now possible?
• Structure your presentation like a journey: where we were → where we are → where we could be.

The Best Designers Make People Believe

A great design presentation isn’t just a report of what you’ve done. It’s an opportunity to inspire, to align, and to drive decisions. It’s about making people feel the importance of the work—so they don’t just understand it, but they believe in it.

So next time you’re preparing to present, ask yourself: Are you telling a story worth believing in?