9. Preparing to Pitch

Innovator Studio . DT Methods . 15 min Primer

Because innovation efforts require ongoing nurturing and support, it’s important to learn how to talk about your work in such a way that you can rally the resources you need to proceed.

Innovators talk about their work differently than operators. Learn how “pitching” is different from “presenting”, and why speaking to your project’s progress and potential is more inspiring than detailing out a plan and asking for permission to proceed.

Activity

Consider your “pitch” an evolving story that you can begin telling the day you start your project. Practice sharing that story in every-day ways, actively crystalizing what you’re learning, the progress you’re making, and the insights & inspirations that make your project stand out. Use the Pitch Canvas (below) as a “living artifact” to help bring your pitch together over the course of your project. Then, when you have an opportunity to present your work at. a formal session, you’ll be a natural at telling that story in a compelling way.

Resources

• Use the DT Pitch Canvas to headline and summarize all the key elements of your design project in one place.

• If you’re using the DT Dojo Design Project MURAL (template), you’ll find the pitch canvas embedded in it along with two madlib-style worksheets to help you pull a concise story-driven narrative together.