If you're a designer, you're familiar with the concept of "selling your design." We go through the same process much of the time, pitching new or radical ideas to clients as we present our work. Along the way we've picked up on something big: you need to wow 'em.
But who's them? Your clients, your peers, your boss, and your girlfriend. OK, so maybe not your girlfriend, but definitely the others. Also, don't forget that you need to be excited. Excitement is contagious and if you haven't got the itch, you've got nothing to give. To get people jazzed about what you're doing, you need to be jazzed as well. To do that, you need something to wow people with.
Pitching a design can be as complex or simple as you make it, but it doesn't mean squat unless you've wowed your audience. In the early design phases—in our three step phase, those are the Define and Frame phases—it's easy to forget that. Don't. Great wow factors can be as simple as adding a cool new feature or taking a visual design to the next step.
Here's a tip: if you're coming up short on Wows, brainstorm at a whiteboard with someone for 10 minutes on "next steps." To make your brainstorm more interesting, ask yourself what you would like to see in the project. Whatever it is, just remember that your audience needs to be excited about what you're doing for any successful pitch.
It's the wow factor that seals the deal for every project that we've been involved in. Next time you're pitching a new design or idea, make sure you take it to the next step with a few "Wows." Find out how to get everyone involved excited and then carry that excitement through to the very end. Trust us, it'll pay off in the long run.