How can you deliver a successful design pitch to a product manager?

1 Know your audience

The first step to a successful design pitch is to understand who you are pitching to and what they care about. A product manager is typically responsible for defining the product vision, strategy, and roadmap, as well as collaborating with various stakeholders, such as engineers, marketers, and users. Therefore, you need to tailor your pitch to their goals, needs, and concerns, and show how your design solution can help them achieve their desired outcomes. You can do some research on the product manager's background, role, and preferences, and ask them some questions before the pitch to clarify their expectations and criteria.

2 Frame the problem

The next step is to frame the problem or opportunity that your design solution addresses. You need to explain why the problem or opportunity is important, relevant, and urgent, and how it affects the product manager's objectives and the users' needs. You can use data, insights, or stories to support your problem statement and show the gap between the current and the desired situation. You also need to define the scope and the constraints of the problem or opportunity, and how you approached it from a design perspective.

3 Present the solution

The core of your design pitch is to present your design solution and how it solves the problem or opportunity. You need to showcase your design process, methods, and deliverables, such as sketches, wireframes, prototypes, or mockups, and explain how they reflect your design decisions, assumptions, and trade-offs. You also need to demonstrate how your design solution meets the user needs, the product goals, and the technical feasibility. You can use visuals, animations, or interactive elements to make your solution more engaging and convincing.