Stakeholder Communication
Present your designs and decisions effectively to different audiences
Know Your Audience
Different stakeholders care about different things. Tailor your presentation to what matters most to each group.
Stakeholder Types & What They Care About
Executives & Leadership
They care about:
- • Business outcomes and ROI
- • Strategic alignment with company goals
- • High-level vision and impact
- • Timeline and resources needed
Your approach:
Lead with business impact. Keep it high-level. Use metrics and data. Be concise.
Product Managers
They care about:
- • User needs and pain points
- • Feature prioritization
- • How it fits the roadmap
- • Trade-offs and alternatives
Your approach:
Show user research. Explain your rationale. Discuss alternatives. Be collaborative.
Developers
They care about:
- • Technical feasibility
- • Specs and edge cases
- • Component reusability
- • Implementation details
Your approach:
Provide detailed specs. Document states and interactions. Use prototypes. Be precise.
Marketing Team
They care about:
- • Brand consistency
- • User benefits and messaging
- • Visual assets and copy
- • Launch timing
Your approach:
Focus on benefits. Share visuals early. Explain the story. Connect to brand values.
Presentation Structure
Set Context
Start with the problem you're solving and why it matters. Share user research or data.
Show the Solution
Walk through your design with visuals. Start with overview, then dive into details.
Explain Your Rationale
Why did you make these decisions? What alternatives did you consider?
Address Trade-offs
Be honest about what you're optimizing for and what you're de-prioritizing.
Show Impact
How will you measure success? What metrics will change? What's the expected outcome?
Next Steps
Be clear about what you need from stakeholders - feedback, approval, resources, etc.
Communication Tips
Use Prototypes, Not Static Screens
Interactive prototypes help stakeholders understand interactions and flow better than static mockups. They also generate better feedback.
Record a Loom Walkthrough
For async communication, record a video walking through your designs. People can watch on their own time and leave timestamped comments.
Create a Landing Page
For large projects, create a Notion/Confluence page that serves as the entry point with all context, designs, and documentation linked.
Ask Focused Questions
Instead of "What do you think?", ask specific questions: "Does this address the checkout abandonment issue?" or "Is this timeline realistic?"
Document Decisions
After meetings, send a summary of decisions made, action items, and next steps. This prevents miscommunication later.
Handling Feedback & Pushback
✅ Do This
- • Listen fully before responding
- • Ask clarifying questions
- • Acknowledge valid concerns
- • Bring data to support decisions
- • Show you've considered alternatives
- • Be open to collaboration
❌ Avoid This
- • Getting defensive
- • Dismissing concerns
- • Using design jargon
- • Making it personal
- • Saying "trust me"
- • Ignoring business constraints
Better Communication = Better Designs
Great design work means nothing if you can't get stakeholders on board