Talking to Your Designer: A Guide to Getting Exactly What You Want
The moment a creative project begins, a subtle but critical challenge emerges: how to bridge the gap between your vision and your designer’s interpretation.
You have a picture in your mind—a clean logo, a vibrant website, an elegant brochure—but how do you translate that so someone else can bring it to life?
It’s not a creative problem; it’s a communication one.
The secret to a successful collaboration isn't a mind-reading trick.
It's a tangible, actionable process that empowers you to communicate your vision with clarity and confidence.
The result is a more efficient workflow, better outcomes, and a partnership built on mutual understanding and trust.
Let’s take a closer look.
Part 1: Before the Conversation (The Prep Work)
The most effective communication happens before you even open your mouth. A few simple steps can provide your designer with a clear roadmap, transforming a vague idea into a solid, strategic foundation.
Create a Mood Board. This is the single most powerful tool you have. A mood board is a curated collection of images, textures, colours, and fonts that visually represents the feeling you want to evoke. Instead of trying to describe "sophisticated and modern," you can show examples. Go beyond simply collecting images. Add notes to each one explaining why you included it.
Tangible Tip: Use a tool like Pinterest, Milanote, or a simple PDF. Pin or paste logos, websites, photographs, and colour palettes you love. Just as importantly, add a few you don’t like to provide contrast. Label your images with notes like, "I love this colour palette for its warmth" or "This font feels too playful for our brand."
Define Your "Why." Designers are problem-solvers. The better they understand the problem, the better they can solve it. Don't just tell them what you want; tell them why you want it. A logo isn’t just an icon; it’s a symbol of trust and purpose. A website isn’t just a digital brochure; it's a tool for lead generation.
Tangible Tip: Answer these questions in a short, one-page creative brief: What is the goal of this design? What specific problem are we solving for our audience? What feeling should this design create? What makes your brand different from your competitors?
Use Specific Adjectives. Vague words like "cool" or "nice" are open to interpretation. Think about more specific adjectives and what they mean to you. This is a shortcut to getting on the same page.
Tangible Tip: Instead of just saying "modern," clarify what that means to you (clean, minimalist, sans-serif fonts). Instead of "trustworthy," does that mean using a strong serif font and a cool colour palette? By defining these words for your designer, you give them a visual vocabulary to work from.
Know Your Audience. Your personal taste is important, but your audience's preferences are critical. A designer needs to know who the final product is for. This moves the project from a subjective exercise in taste to a strategic design solution.
Tangible Tip: Be ready to provide your designer with information about your target audience. Are they young and tech-savvy, or are they a more traditional demographic? What are their habits, and what kind of visuals do they respond to?
Part 2: During the Conversation (The Check-In)
Once the prep work is done, your initial meeting is about sharing your vision and establishing a shared language. The key is to shift the focus from subjective opinions to objective function.
Talk in Terms of Function, Not Form. This is a crucial shift in perspective. Instead of making subjective critiques like "make the logo bigger," explain the functional reason behind the request.
Tangible Tip: Reframe your feedback: Instead of "I don't like this font," try saying "This font feels a little difficult to read at a small size, which is a concern for our mobile users." Or, "I want the call-to-action button to be more prominent because it's the most important next step for our users."
Use Reference Points. Point to designs, websites, or brands that you admire and explain what you admire about them. Reference points provide a common ground for discussion.
Tangible Tip: Come prepared with a list of examples. "I love the clean typography on the Apple website, but I'd like a brighter colour palette like the one on this other site." This shows the designer you've analyzed your preferences critically, not just emotionally.
Part 3: The Feedback Loop (After the First Draft)
Once your designer presents their work, your feedback is what will shape the final outcome. This is where a clear communication strategy is most vital.
Be Constructive, Not Vague. Don't just say "I don't like it" or "It’s not quite right." Provide feedback that helps the designer understand what isn’t working and why. A helpful method is the "feedback sandwich," where you start with a positive, deliver a constructive critique, and end with a positive.
Tangible Tip: Use this format for your feedback: "I really love [what you like], but I’m concerned about [what is bothering you] because [the reason]. Could we try [a potential solution or new direction]? Overall, the direction is great, and I'm excited to see where it goes."
Give Trust. You hired a creative professional for their expertise. Your role is to define the problem and provide a vision; their role is to solve it creatively. When you give a designer room to work, you often get a solution that is even better than what you originally envisioned. They can see solutions you might not have considered.
Review the Work in Context. Don't just look at a static PDF. How the design functions is just as important as how it looks.
Tangible Tip: Ask your designer to present the design in its final context. View website mockups on your phone and desktop. Print out a logo concept to see how it looks on paper. This helps you identify practical issues and provides more accurate feedback.
The best client-designer relationships are partnerships. By providing a clear roadmap, giving actionable feedback, and trusting in the creative process, you’ll not only get a final design you love, but you’ll also build a collaborative relationship that will last for years to come.
What's the most important thing you've learned about communicating with a designer? Share your thoughts below!
We're here to help! Our studio has branding experts who are happy to answer any questions you have about the workbook or your brand in general. Don't hesitate to reach out - we're here to support you on your branding journey.