What are some effective strategies for presenting geotechnical designs to clients and stakeholders?

1 Know your audience

Before preparing your presentation, you need to understand who your audience is, what their goals and concerns are, and what level of detail and technicality they expect from you. For example, a client may want to know how your design meets their budget, schedule, and performance requirements, while a stakeholder may want to know how your design impacts the environment, the community, or the regulatory compliance. You should tailor your presentation to suit your audience's needs and interests, and avoid using jargon, acronyms, or complex formulas that may confuse or bore them.

2 Use visuals and examples

One of the most effective ways to present geotechnical designs is to use visuals and examples that illustrate your key points and show the benefits and outcomes of your design. Visuals can include graphs, charts, maps, photos, drawings, animations, or videos that demonstrate how your design works, how it compares to alternative options, or how it solves a problem or meets a challenge. Examples can include case studies, testimonials, or scenarios that relate your design to similar projects, situations, or contexts that your audience can understand and appreciate. Visuals and examples can help you convey complex information in a simple and engaging way, and appeal to your audience's emotions and values.

3 Explain your assumptions and methods

Another important aspect of presenting geotechnical designs is to explain your assumptions and methods that underpin your design. This can help you establish your credibility and reliability as a geotechnical engineer, and address any questions or doubts that your audience may have about your design. You should explain the rationale behind your assumptions and methods, how they reflect the site conditions and the design criteria, and how they affect the performance and safety of your design. You should also acknowledge any limitations, uncertainties, or risks that may arise from your assumptions and methods, and how you plan to mitigate or manage them.

4 Provide clear recommendations and actions

Finally, you should provide clear recommendations and actions that summarize your main message and call your audience to action. Your recommendations and actions should be based on your geotechnical design objectives, findings, and outcomes, and should align with your audience's goals and expectations. You should also provide supporting evidence and arguments that justify your recommendations and actions, and show how they benefit your audience and the project. You should also invite feedback and questions from your audience, and address them in a respectful and constructive way.

5 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?