Establishing Clear Design Goals With Clients

Your great design won’t be effective if people don’t understand it. As designers, we often assume our work speaks for itself. I was definitely guilty of this early in my design career. I thought my job was to simply make things look good. I used to send a file with little context, assuming everyone understood the design decisions I’d made. But that often led to confusion and a lot of back and forth. I learned the hard way that clear communication is just as important as delivering great designs. If we can’t communicate clearly (whether it’s with clients, developers, or other team members) we risk misunderstandings, missed deadlines, and projects that fall short. I’ve been there and it’s a awful experience all around. If you’re in a similar situation and want to get out of that cycle, here’s what’s helped me become a better communicator in my design career: 1️⃣ Set expectations early. Before any project kicks off, make sure everyone’s on the same page. What’s the goal of the project? Who’s the audience? What are the timelines? Clear expectations save a lot of headaches down the line. 2️⃣ Explain your design decisions. Don’t just hand over the final design. Take the time to explain why you made certain choices. Whether it’s color, layout, or typography, walking clients or teammates through your thought process helps them understand your vision and trust your expertise. 3️⃣ Ask for feedback early and often. Feedback isn’t something you should get at the end of a project. It should be part of the entire process. Asking for input at key stages not only builds stronger relationships but also keeps the project on track. 4️⃣ Use visuals to support your message. We’re designers and visuals are our advantage! Use them! Use mockups, wireframes, and sketches to communicate complex ideas clearly. It’s amazing how much a quick sketch can clear up confusion. 5️⃣ Be responsive. Good communication is also about being available. Respond to emails and messages in a timely manner. You don’t have to be available 24/7, but being present shows that you’re invested in the project. The reality is great design won’t land if people don’t understand it. As much as you focus on creating beautiful work, invest time in making sure your communication is just as polished. ––– What’s one communication skill you’re working on improving as a designer?

I used to wonder how to make my UX work more impactful. I saw designers getting astonishing results for their clients/stakeholders so I knew it was possible. I just didn’t know how to actually do it. I knew the standard processes and tools. So I thought I should hit my stakeholders over the head with how they’re doing it wrong and be the guy always fighting for users. That should do the trick, right? Wrong. Turns out I needed to: → Listen more → Follow my gut → Break the rules That’s when things started clicking. I pieced this together a long time ago in the tech world. Now I apply it to client projects. And it works... We’ve helped our clients: → 3.5x their conversion (eCommerce) → Oversubscribe their A round by 55% (health tech) → Rack up 8 awards for innovation (education) Here’s exactly how we did it: 1. Understand goals and constraints: - How is success measured? - What time pressure exists? - What have they already tried? - What are the biggest challenges? - Who are their customers or users? - What unique assets or data do they have? Literally everything depends on this. Asking the right questions upfront means better insights, better design recommendations, and better collaboration. 2. Audit the current product: - Review every screen, state, and flow - Gather screencaps and recordings - Identify opportunities, risks, problems Step 1 was the big picture. This is about details. Experience, intuition, and judgement matter here. 3. Make recommendations: - Prioritize by impact - Call attention to the top 3 issues - Present findings clearly. We use slides. Show what's happening with the current product—and how to transform it. 4. Agree on priorities, timelines, and process: - What’s the most important thing to do next? - How will we execute the work? Too many designers get caught up on "right" process. Right depends on context. There are lots of ways to succeed. 5. Execute the work: - Research, design, prototyping, testing - Every decision or finding gets tied to goals or risks AI is speeding this part up. It's a wild time. 6. Communicate & collaborate throughout: - Design is a team sport—we win together - The whole team knows what’s happening, and why - Nobody's left guessing Pro tip: Clarity is a gift designers are well positioned to give product teams. Capture roadmap, process, and status in a single visual to do this. Not sure how? DM me. 7. Ship product: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face”—Mike Tyson. Things get real when they're put in front of users. Do that fast, but not so fast that you don’t get a good signal from the market. – I love helping clients succeed. Over time, I found these traits help: Teamwork Pragmatism Bias for action Lightheartedness Commitment to quality Find your own way. Break the rules when needed. Stay focused on impact. That’s what makes the work meaningful—and what makes for truly successful products (and design careers).

Client relationships don't fail because of your work. They fail because of poor communication. After analyzing 100+ client relationships... I discovered a framework that increased retention by 85%: The C.L.E.A.R Method: 1. Connect ↳ Start with genuine curiosity ↳ Ask about their vision, not just their needs ↳ Find common ground beyond the project 2. Listen ↳ Take detailed notes during calls ↳ Reflect back what you hear ↳ Look for what's not being said 3. Establish Expectations ↳ Document every deliverable ↳ Set realistic timelines ↳ Create clear success metrics 4. Adapt ↳ Regular check-ins (not just when things go wrong) ↳ Pivot based on feedback ↳ Anticipate challenges before they happen 5. Respond ↳ Reply within agreed timeframes ↳ Own mistakes quickly ↳ Provide solutions, not excuses The results? → 85% better retention → Fewer scope creep issues → Higher client satisfaction → More referrals Because strong communication isn't just about being responsive. It's about being intentional. 💡 Which of these steps do you struggle with most? ♻️ Share if this framework could help someone you know 🔔 Follow for more client relationship strategies