7 traps designers fall into when presenting
How to spot them and move past them
Early in my career, I thought progress would speak for itself.
One sprint review, I skipped the deck and opened my working design file. I was exhausted, zooming around frames, scrolling through screens, and dumping every piece of work in front of the room. There was no story, just clutter. People looked dizzy and instead of building confidence, it left them wondering if we were actually on track.
My manager gave me grace, but he also told me plainly that I needed to get better at presenting. That was seven years ago. Since then, I’ve been practicing nonstop in sprint reviews, critiques, approval meetings, and big project presentations. Along the way, I’ve fallen into just about every trap there is.
And if you present your work long enough, chances are you will run into them too.
1. Scrambling at the last minute
The trap
More than once, I built a deck the day (or night) before a big presentation. By the time I presented, it was obvious. I wasn’t ready, the story hadn’t been shaped, and I was practicing on the spot instead of leading the room.
The way out
What’s worked for me is starting earlier than I think I need to. I’ll throw together a rough draft, let it sit, then come back and tighten it up. Each pass helps the story settle. By the time the real meeting comes, I’ve had space to practice and even bounce it off a peer.
Why it matters
If you prep this way, you walk into the room looking prepared and in control. That’s what makes people trust both the work and the person behind it.
2. The overstuffed deck
The trap
I used to cram decks with everything I had: every variation, every screenshot, and so on. I thought showing more would make the work feel stronger. In reality, it only made the story harder to follow. People couldn’t see the story because it was buried under too much unimportant detail.
The way out
The fix is editing. Show enough to give context then focus on the insights and decisions that move the story forward. If a slide doesn’t support the outcome you’re driving toward, cut it.
Why it matters
When you strip a deck down to what matters, the work lands with clarity. And clarity is what makes your recommendation stick. It’s not just about clean slides. It’s about helping people see the path forward without confusion.
3. Building from scratch every time
The trap
There was a stretch when every presentation I gave started with a blank deck. New fonts, new slide structures, new layouts. Hours gone before I ever got to the story. It felt creative, but it was wasteful. The more time I spent reinventing, the less time I had for the work that mattered. And the quality suffered. The story always felt half-baked.
The way out
The fix is reuse. Borrow from past decks that worked. Build yourself a template (or better yet a framework) you can adapt from project to project. It doesn’t make your story cookie-cutter. It makes it stronger.
Why it matters
When you don’t have to start from zero, you save energy. That energy can go into clarity, polish, and delivery. I broke this down in full in my go-to presentation framework article. The point of that structure is to keep decks consistent so the story stays sharp. The payoff is simple. More time on what matters and a story that lands with confidence.
4. Opening your working design file live
The trap
I’ve seen this one a lot, and I’ve done it too. I skipped the deck entirely and just opened my Figma working file. On paper it seems easier because you save time and can show the latest screens. But in practice, it almost always backfires. Unless your file is perfectly organized, it looks messy. You zoom in and out, pan around, and people watch you dig through frames. The story gets lost.
The way out
A deck forces you to structure the flow. Even a lightweight one keeps the meeting focused and prevents distractions. Your Figma file is for building the work. Your deck is for telling the story. Mixing the two rarely does either justice.
Why it matters
When you lean on a deck, the meeting feels sharper. You look more in control. And people focus on the story you want to tell. Over time, the person who keeps meetings focused is the one people look to for direction.
5. Sounding robotic
The trap
There’s a reason reading from slides never works. I’ve done it myself and it always came out flat. A script isn’t much better. When you read word for word, people can hear you’re not present.
The way out
The only fix is practice. Not once, not silently in your head. Out loud, multiple times, until the story feels like yours. That’s when you stop clinging to the slide or the script and start sounding like yourself.
Why it matters
Sounding natural shows you own the story. And people lean in when they trust the presenter, not just the work on the screen. The more natural you sound, the more you come across as a leader guiding the room.
6. Not knowing how to navigate feedback
The trap
Feedback can derail even the best presentation if you don’t know how to handle it. I’ve had moments where I froze and tried to answer everything and others where I brushed things off too quickly. Neither worked.
The way out
The truth is, you don’t need every answer in the moment. What you do need is a calm, steady way to acknowledge feedback without overcommitting. A couple lines in your back pocket can change everything:
“Thanks for the feedback. We’ll explore that and get back to you.”
“That’s a great question. I don’t have the answer now, but I’ll follow up this week.”
Why it matters
Owning what you don’t know builds more trust than pretending. And looping back later shows you’re serious about the work. Over time, how you navigate feedback says as much about your leadership as the designs themselves.
7. Plateauing at “good enough”
The trap
This one’s quieter, but I think it’s the most dangerous. Once you’re competent at presenting, it’s easy to coast. You do “good enough” in the room and that becomes the bar you aim for. I’ve fallen into this myself. I got comfortable, stuck with what worked, and realized later that my skills had flatlined.
The way out
The fix is simple, but not easy. Keep practicing. Use every presentation as a chance to sharpen your skills. Watch others, borrow what works, and keep refining your own style. In my habits article, I wrote about practicing like it matters. Plateauing is what happens when you stop.
Why it matters
Most designers level off here. The ones who keep improving set themselves apart. And that growth shows up not just in how you present, but in how much influence you carry. If you keep pushing, you’re not just improving your own skills. You’re raising the bar for everyone around you.
Closing thoughts ☕
I’ve hit all of these traps at some point. I’ve scrambled late into the night. I’ve overstuffed decks and opened messy Figma files. I’ve read from slides, stumbled through feedback, and coasted when I thought “good enough” was enough.
These mistakes don’t make you a bad designer. They make you a normal one. But if you can start to recognize the patterns, you can break them before they stick.
The way you present your work shapes your influence. Presentations aren’t just about showing progress. They’re where strategy moves forward, where trust gets built, and where people decide if you’re ready for the next step.
Avoiding these traps won’t make you flawless, but it will put you ahead of most. Because most designers never notice when their habits have gone stale or when they’re making their audience do the heavy lifting. If you can see these pitfalls and sidestep them, you’ll be shaping the conversation instead of scrambling to catch up.
That’s the difference between a designer who survives the meeting and a designer who leads it.
