SUMMARY
Purpose: Presenting Design Alternatives helps teams communicate different design options clearly, using storytelling and structured narratives to frame user-centred decisions.
Design Thinking Phase: Prototype
Time: 45–60 min presentation + 1–2 hours prep and iteration
Difficulty: ⭐⭐
When to use:When comparing several valid design approaches for a feature or flowWhen aligning stakeholders on trade-offs before implementationWhen showcasing user research insights behind design choices
What it is
Presenting Design Alternatives is a communication method that allows designers to show multiple viable design directions, supported by logic, research, and user narratives. Instead of defending a single solution, the designer facilitates discussion by telling visual and strategic stories of what different solutions could achieve.
📺 Video by NNgroup. Embedded for educational reference.
Why it matters
This method builds shared understanding and reduces subjective decision-making. By framing alternatives in narrative form—backed by user evidence—teams move from “I like this” to “this supports our users and objectives because...”. It enables better alignment across product, design, engineering, and executives—especially when opinions differ.
When to use
- Design critique sessions where multiple prototypes need objective evaluation
- Executive reviews for high-impact or high-risk flows
- Cross-functional alignment meetings early in prototyping
Benefits
- Rich Insights: Helps uncover user needs that aren’t visible in metrics.
- Flexibility: Works across various project types and timelines.
- User Empathy: Deepens understanding of behaviours and motivations.
How to use it
- Gather context: Start with the problem statement and user insights from previous research.
- Develop 2–3 viable alternatives: Sketch or prototype multiple directions that solve the problem in distinct ways.
- Map each to user goals: For every alternative, explain how it meets (or struggles with) user needs and constraints.
- Prepare stories: Use storytelling frameworks (e.g., journey arcs, role-play, or “jobs to be done”) to narrate how a user would move through each solution.
- Frame trade-offs: Highlight differences in effort, scalability, usability, or risk.
- Facilitate discussion: Present alternatives without defending a single favourite. Prompt discussion by asking stakeholders what resonates based on user impact.
Example Output
In a fictional redesign of a subscription onboarding flow:
- Option A – Guided Wizard: Personalised onboarding based on user goals. Higher effort to build, but more engaging.
- Option B – Quick Start Tiered Options: Users select from 3 start types (e.g., “Explore”, “Plan”, “Go Pro”). Easier to develop. Good for testing MVP.
- Option C – Article-Based Walkthrough: Scrollable help article with embedded tips. Fastest to ship. Least interactive.
Each alternative included research insights, mockups, and a user journey narrative to communicate its strengths and trade-offs.
Common Pitfalls
- Biased storytelling: Avoid framing one option as obviously superior unless research clearly supports it.
- Poor structure: Without a narrative, presentations can become feature comparisons instead of user-impact discussions.
- Too many options: Limit to 2–3 strong alternatives or discussion becomes diluted.
10 Design-Ready AI Prompts for Presenting Design Alternatives – UX/UI Edition
How These Prompts Work (C.S.I.R. Framework)
Each of the templates below follows the C.S.I.R. method — a proven structure for writing clear, effective prompts that get better results from ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, or any other LLM.
C.S.I.R. stands for:
- Context: Who you are and the UX situation you're working in
- Specific Info: Key design inputs, tasks, or constraints the AI should consider
- Intent: What you want the AI to help you achieve
- Response Format: The structure or format you want the AI to return (e.g. checklist, table, journey map)
Level up your career with smarter AI prompts.Get templates used by UX leaders — no guesswork, just results.Design faster, research smarter, and ship with confidence.First one’s free. Unlock all 10 by becoming a member.
Prompt Template 1: “Summarise Design Trade-offs in Multiple Prototypes”
Summarise Design Trade-offs in Multiple Prototypes
Context: You are a UX designer preparing to present 3 onboarding flow options to your product team.
Specific Info: Each flow is based on different user personas and technical constraints (A is guided, B is modular, C is text-based).
Intent: Help identify the design trade-offs in terms of usability, implementation effort, and conversion impact.
Response Format: Return a comparison table listing each option’s pros, cons, unique risk, and best-fit persona.
Ask if more persona or tech constraint details are needed. Suggest 1 follow-up prototype exploration based on gaps found.
Prompt Template 2: “Generate Narrative Scripts for Prototype Walkthroughs”
Generate Narrative Scripts for Prototype Walkthroughs
Context: You are a Senior Product Designer preparing to present two homepage redesign prototypes to stakeholders.
Specific Info: Each prototype focuses on a different user journey (discovery vs. task completion). Key metrics: bounce rate and engagement.
Intent: Create compelling user-centred scripts to accompany walkthroughs that emphasise motivations and context.
Response Format: Provide two narrative scripts (1 per prototype), each written as a short story (3–5 steps) with emotional tone, goal framing, and callouts for decision points.
Ask if voice/persona tone should lean formal, casual, or aspirational. Offer a next step to refine tone consistency.
Prompt Template 3: “Frame Alternatives Using JTBD Lens”
Frame Alternatives Using JTBD Lens
Context: You’re facilitating a design review for three dashboard interaction models.
Specific Info: Each serves different segments with specific jobs to be done (monitor metrics, set goals, flag risks).
Intent: Frame each design alternative around targeted JTBDs to anchor discussions in user behaviour, not opinion.
Response Format: JTBD mapping table with one row per design, showing key user job, design fit, compromises, and applicable persona.
Invite clarification around the business model or analytics goal weighting. Suggest what JTBD lens might be missing.
Prompt Template 4: “Reframe Stakeholder Objections into User Questions”
Reframe Stakeholder Objections into User Questions
Context: You are presenting alternative pricing page layouts and received mixed stakeholder feedback.
Specific Info: Concerns include SEO impact, discoverability, and visual hierarchy across devices.
Intent: Help reframe objections as human-centred design questions to advance the conversation.
Response Format: Provide a list of reframed user questions (e.g. “Will users understand the free tier?”) aligned to each stakeholder concern.
Ask if sample copy or layout images are available for deeper critique. Propose 1 follow-up user test idea.
Prompt Template 5: “Identify Hidden Bias in Design Storytelling”
Identify Hidden Bias in Design Storytelling
Context: You're editing a slide deck for a design review that includes two feature recommendations.
Specific Info: Your team favours Option A based on developer comfort and past patterns.
Intent: Uncover potential storytelling bias that could undermine objectivity.
Response Format: Paragraph critique calling out suggestive language, skewed comparisons, or unsupported claims, plus rewrite suggestions.
Invite follow-up to adjust tone/find neutral phrasing. Suggest a stakeholder type to test revised framing with.
Prompt Template 6: “Design a Presentation Agenda for Reviewing UX Alternatives”
Design a Presentation Agenda for Reviewing UX Alternatives
Context: You’re hosting a 60-minute design crit for two proposed checkout flows.
Specific Info: One flow is optimised for returning users; the other for first-timers. Key audience: PM, lead engineer, marketing rep.
Intent: Create a structured, time-boxed agenda to ensure all voices are heard and trade-offs discussed.
Response Format: A timed agenda with checkpoints, discussion prompts, and recommended artefacts to include.
Ask if any constraints exist (e.g., team maturity, remote-only). Suggest 1 async follow-up idea for those who miss the session.
Prompt Template 7: “Create a Comparison Table from Design Feedback”
Create a Comparison Table from Design Feedback
Context: You’ve synthesised feedback from 3 stakeholders on prototype options for user onboarding.
Specific Info: Feedback includes alignment to brand, scalability, and delight factor.
Intent: Organise and summarise feedback to highlight how each alternative aligns or diverges from team goals.
Response Format: Comparison matrix per design option showing supporting/critical quotes, level of concern, and proposed fix.
Invite missing feedback themes or clarify decision criteria weightings.
Prompt Template 8: “Draft Stakeholder Email Recap of Design Alternatives”
Draft Stakeholder Email Recap of Design Alternatives
Context: You just ran a design review with three homepage concepts and need to share next steps.
Specific Info: Stakeholders want a quick summary with recommendation and logic behind it.
Intent: Write a concise, neutral email summarising all alternatives with rationale and decision option for next steps.
Response Format: 3-paragraph email with bullet summarising each design, followed by recommended direction and action items.
Ask for recipient context (exec, peer, or cross-functional) to adjust tone accordingly.
Prompt Template 9: “Extract Talking Points from Figma Prototype”
Extract Talking Points from Figma Prototype
Context: You’re preparing a verbal walkthrough of a Figma prototype featuring 2 alternate sign-up flows.
Specific Info: Each has different layout logic (progressive vs. minimal upfront fields).
Intent: Identify key talking points for narration that highlights user needs, research basis, and usability patterns.
Response Format: Bullet list of talking points, grouped by screen or action, with rationale phrasing tips.
Optional: Ask if research artefacts are linked. Suggest 1 way to test preference.
Prompt Template 10: “Translate Design Alternatives into Business Metrics Impact”
Translate Design Alternatives into Business Metrics Impact
Context: You’re pitching final design options for a loyalty program signup flow to execs.
Specific Info: Each option impacts different KPIs (signup %, LTV uplift, support load).
Intent: Show how each alternative maps to measurable outcomes.
Response Format: Comparison table showing estimated impact by metric, assumptions, and risk notes.
Ask if analytics benchmarks or past A/B data should be factored in. Propose a test plan outline.
Recommended Tools
- Figma – Use interactive components to present flow logic visually
- Pitch – Collaborative decks to narrate design options with your team
- tldraw – Sketch quick alternative interface ideas live during meetings
- ChatGPT – Use prompt templates above to streamline narration prep
