A design review is a meeting where the designer shows the team solutions for a problem and seeks feedback.

Design Review Meetings are integral to the design process to create a functional product that is successful in its purpose.

In the meeting, the team gives feedback and agrees on the solution. The forum helps to have a shared understanding of the solution.

The designer shows the team what he thinks is the best way to solve the problem.

Then, to review the solution before moving the concept to development, you need to have a design review meeting to agree on some points with the team before continuing the design process.

Use design review only to get agreements, not ask questions from the development team.

What is needed to prep for a Design review meeting?

Please write down the aim or goal for the meeting and what you want to achieve or understand after it. It helps to know why we need the appointment.

To make it a success and be fruitful of everyone’s time. You need to collect or research all the data about the problem you want to solve.

Please chat with the project manager, run user interviews, and discuss with the developers about its feasibility. Then, understand and write down all the use cases related to it.

Study or use similar products/services in the market available currently. Identify the similar features or design solutions the competitor has solved in the use case.

It is helpful to demonstrate to the team the competitor’s answer and how we can cut through the completion with our unique approach to the same problem.

Have a clear, crystal-clear understanding of every interaction you show in the meeting.

Why you choose a particular button style or a hamburger menu should have a very researched-oriented answer, not just because it looked good on screen.

There are enough user testing results to provide the team with your choice of interaction used in the product. Could you explain why you use it and understand the component behaving?

Form an agreed alliance with your office peers to back you in your meeting.

Design is all about democracy and agreements, with user interest as a priority. Discuss your ideas with team members or office friends from different departments to reach diverse understandings and agreements.

This will help you have deals with some teammates before the meeting and ease your session.

How to Present

• Check the spelling in the presentation using a spelling checker or grammar software.
• Design the presentation more visually for better understanding.
• Write comments with the essential information you want to share for each slide inside the presentation. So that you keep up while presenting.
• Read the presentation before you show it to the team. Ensure there are no errors, that every text, video, and image explains the exact information you want to share, and that it’s appropriately arranged.

How to Structure the Review Meeting

1. why do we do this meeting
The presentation is a slide that explains to the participants:
Explain to the team why this meeting is necessary.

2. What we review in the meeting
It is essential to let the participants know what you plan to check with them. So that they can understand what to expect.

3. User story
Show and read the user story to the team. Sometimes the participants don’t remember the US and its aim.

4. Research
Show the research you did. Explain all the use cases you investigated for the problem, show solutions used in similar products, and the development problems that need to be covered. Try to use visual content, like images or videos.

5. Solutions
The most effective way to communicate this part is by using prototypes, videos, and images.

6. Go Ahead
The last point in the presentation focuses on design review and shows the go-ahead you think is necessary.

How to call the Participants to your Design Review Meeting

The best way is to email all the participants you want to present in the meeting and keep in mind the following point to consider.

• Well-explained and clear title
• Summarize the explanation in the email, why you want to conduct this meeting, and what you want to present. The main points or information from your presentation in the slide “Why.”
• Attach the presentation of the prototype to the email so the participants can look at it before the meeting.
• Ask all the participants for their availability.
• Please review it and ensure it has all the components like title, body copy, attracted files, time, date, and location.

What happens during the meeting

• Discussion of the solution you have worked out of the problem.
• Listening and consolidating feedback are super important to create an excellent product. In addition, the team member’s feedback can improve your design.
• Taking notes in the meeting will summarize the essential points you discuss.
• Recording the meeting can help you to remember what the team talked about.
• Keep the meeting to the point and relevant. Avoid diverting to unrelated topics. If needed, keep a moderator to remind and hold the forum on the agenda. Finally, consider what you want to achieve from this meeting and focus on outcomes.

After the Design Review Meeting

Write the summary of the key points discussed and send it to all the participants.

• Meeting aims?
• What do we agree on?
• What is the Go Ahead?
• Mention who is responsible for each task discussed.

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