How do you prepare for a design review with stakeholders?

1 Define the goals and scope

Before you invite your stakeholders to a design review, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and what you want to show. What are the main objectives of the design review? What are the key questions or problems that you want to address? What are the design artifacts that you want to share and discuss? How do they relate to the overall product strategy and roadmap? By defining the goals and scope of the design review, you can set the agenda, select the appropriate participants, and communicate the expectations and outcomes.

2 Choose the right format and tools

Depending on the goals and scope of your design review, you may need to choose different formats and tools to present and collaborate with your stakeholders. For example, you may opt for a synchronous or asynchronous review, depending on the availability and location of your stakeholders. You may use a slide deck, a prototype, or a mockup, depending on the level of fidelity and interactivity of your design. You may use a video conferencing platform, a screen sharing tool, or a feedback collection tool, depending on the type and amount of feedback that you want to collect. Whatever format and tools you choose, make sure that they are easy to access, understand, and use for your stakeholders.

4 Invite and engage your stakeholders

After you have prepared your materials and scripts, you need to invite and engage your stakeholders to participate in your design review. You should send them a calendar invite with the date, time, and link to the design review session, as well as a brief overview of the goals and scope of the design review. You should also ask them to confirm their attendance, review the materials in advance, and prepare any questions or feedback that they may have. During the design review session, you should welcome your stakeholders, introduce yourself and your team, and explain the agenda and ground rules. You should also encourage your stakeholders to share their thoughts, opinions, and suggestions, and acknowledge and address their feedback and questions.

5 Collect and synthesize feedback

The last step of preparing for a design review is to collect and synthesize feedback from your stakeholders. You should record or document the feedback and questions that you receive during the design review session, as well as any feedback that you receive after the session via email or other channels. You should also thank your stakeholders for their time and input, and let them know when and how you will follow up with them. You should then review and analyze the feedback and questions that you have collected, and identify the main themes, patterns, and insights. You should also prioritize and categorize the feedback and questions based on their impact, urgency, and feasibility, and decide how to address them in your next steps.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?