How can you create a compelling story for your commercial design pitch?

2 Structure your story

A good story has a clear beginning, middle, and end, and follows a logical and emotional arc. When creating a commercial design story, it's important to start by introducing the pain point, gap, or opportunity that your design addresses. Explain why it matters to your audience and then present your design concept. Show how it solves the problem, meets the needs, or fulfills the desires of your audience with visuals, demos, or testimonials. Finally, highlight the benefits, outcomes, or results that your design can deliver and how it can make a difference for your audience. Use data, metrics, or stories to support your claims to create an effective story.

3 Engage your audience

A story is not just a series of facts, figures, or features - it is also a way to create an emotional connection with your audience and make them care about your design. To engage your audience, you can use a hook to capture their attention from the start, a theme to convey a central idea or value, a conflict to create tension and drama, and a character to represent your target user. These techniques can help you show the challenges that your design overcomes, the alternatives it beats, and the impact it has on people.

4 Refine your story

Once you have created your story, you need to refine it and make it ready for your pitch. Try to be concise, cutting out any unnecessary or redundant information and focusing on the key points that matter to your audience. Make sure to use simple and direct language, avoiding jargon or technical terms, and explain any concepts or terms that your audience might not understand. Additionally, ensure that your story flows smoothly and logically, with no gaps, contradictions, or errors in the message. To make your story more memorable and appealing, incorporate vivid and descriptive words, metaphors, or analogies.

5 Practice your story

The final step to create a compelling story for your commercial design pitch is to practice it. Practicing your story will help you improve your delivery, confidence, and feedback. For instance, you can record yourself with a video or audio recorder and observe your voice, tone, pace, and body language. Additionally, you can share your story with someone you trust to get honest feedback. Furthermore, rehearsing your story multiple times is essential to help you feel comfortable and confident with it. Also, try to vary your words, expressions, or examples so that you don't sound scripted or robotic.