How do you present your programming work to stakeholders?

1 Know your audience

Before you start preparing your presentation, you need to know who your audience is, what their expectations and needs are, and how much they already know about your work. This will help you tailor your content, tone, and style to suit their level of interest and expertise. For example, if you are presenting to a non-technical client, you might want to focus more on the benefits and outcomes of your work, rather than the technical details and challenges. On the other hand, if you are presenting to a technical manager, you might want to highlight the best practices and innovations that you applied, rather than the basic functionality and features.

2 Choose the right format

Depending on the purpose, scope, and duration of your presentation, you might want to choose different formats to showcase your work. For example, you could use slides, videos, demos, or live coding to demonstrate your work in action, or you could use diagrams, charts, or screenshots to illustrate your work in progress, or you could use reports, documents, or code snippets to explain your work in depth. Whatever format you choose, make sure that it is clear, relevant, and easy to follow for your audience. Avoid using too many or too few visuals, and use consistent and appropriate design elements, such as colors, fonts, and layouts.

3 Structure your presentation

A good presentation has a clear and logical structure that guides your audience through your work. A common structure is to start with an introduction that summarizes the main goal, context, and scope of your work, then move on to the main body that covers the key points, features, and results of your work, and then end with a conclusion that wraps up the main takeaways, implications, and next steps of your work. You can also use transitions, headings, and signposts to help your audience follow your flow and keep track of your main points. For example, you could say something like "Now that we have seen how our app works, let's look at some of the feedback we received from our users."

4 Explain your work

One of the most important skills for presenting your programming work is to be able to explain your work in a way that is understandable, relevant, and engaging for your audience. This means that you need to use clear and simple language, avoid unnecessary jargon and acronyms, and provide examples and analogies to illustrate your points. You also need to use evidence and data to support your claims, such as metrics, testimonials, or case studies. However, you also need to be selective and concise, and only include the information that is essential and relevant for your audience. You don't want to bore or confuse them with too much or too little information.

5 Engage your audience

Another key skill for presenting your programming work is to be able to engage your audience and keep their attention and interest throughout your presentation. This means that you need to use a confident and enthusiastic tone, vary your voice and pace, and use eye contact and gestures to connect with your audience. You also need to use questions, stories, or humor to spark curiosity and interaction, and invite feedback and questions from your audience. You want to make your presentation a dialogue, not a monologue, and show that you care about your audience and their opinions.

6 Practice and prepare

Finally, the best way to ensure that your presentation of your programming work goes smoothly and successfully is to practice and prepare in advance. This means that you need to rehearse your presentation several times, either by yourself or with a friend or colleague, and check your timing, delivery, and content. You also need to prepare your materials, such as slides, videos, or demos, and make sure that they work properly and are compatible with the equipment and software that you will use. You also need to anticipate and prepare for possible questions, challenges, or issues that might arise during or after your presentation, and have some backup plans or solutions ready.

7 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?