Demos
What is it?
Demos (or demonstrations) are a form of presentation for solutions that have been developed. Used in the case of digital solutions like dashboards and systems, and non-digital solutions like systems, services, and products, they involve walking through how it works and why it is a good solution.
Why and when should I use this?
Although often used to showcase solutions ready for implementation, demos can be used in the prototyping phase to demonstrate their purpose, gather feedback and iterate. When used towards the delivery end, demos can help gain buy-in for new approaches and include interactive features that show different options.
How much time should I spend on this?
20 minutes. Give yourself enough time to show what's needed, but don't feel like you need to show everything. Keep in mind that people will have a limited attention span.
Who should I involve in this?
You can work with your project team and involve strategic stakeholders and clients to showcase your solution.
How to use it...
- Define the purpose: With your team, ask: What do we want to convey? What will we choose to showcase? Depending on what stage you're at you might be looking for feedback or buy-in to scale a solution.
- Identify your audience: Understand who the audience should be to enable you to achieve your goal. This can inform how much context you provide, the language you use, the level of interaction involved, and the style of presentation.
- Plan your approach: Based on the goal and audience, start to plan your demo. For stakeholders who will be actively involved in the solution, walk through from their perspective. For people that have a stake but won't be closely involved, walk them through a typical user journey. Think about how storytelling can be used to help people relate to what you describe.
- Test your demo: Create what you need to visually demonstrate your solution and test it out with team members who take on the mindset of your audience. Iterate based on their feedback!