Why Communication Is One of the Most Important Design Skills
Graphic design is often described as a visual profession. We work with color, imagery, and countless other visual elements. But there’s another skill behind almost every successful design project that needs an appropriate drum roll:
Communication!
You can be an incredibly talented designer and still struggle if you can’t explain your ideas or understand what a client actually needs. If you can’t receive feedback or communicate why you’ve made certain design decisions, you might face difficulty being the translator of information. That’s why I think communication is one of the most important skills a designer can develop.
Design Is a Conversation
A design project usually starts with a conversation. A client explains what they need. A marketing team describes a campaign. A manager provides a goal. A customer explains a problem. Somewhere inside that conversation is the actual design problem. And sometimes, it isn’t always what it might seem.
The client might say:
“We need a new brochure.”
But what they might actually mean is:
“Our sales team is having trouble explaining our product.”
Those are two very different problems. The first asks for a piece of marketing collateral. The second asks for a communication solution. A designer who listens carefully can identify the difference. Good communication is about knowing how to listen. It works both ways!
Listening Is a Design Skill
One of the easiest mistakes for a designer to make is jumping into the solution too quickly. You hear the request, open Illustrator, and start designing.
But before opening a design program, there are questions worth asking:
- Who is this for?
- What are we trying to communicate?
- What problem are we trying to solve?
- Where will this design be seen?
- What does the audience already know?
- What action do we want someone to take?
- Are there existing brand guidelines?
- What has been tried before?
- What isn’t working about the current solution?
The more clearly you understand the problem, the more intentional your design decisions can become.
Designers Have to Communicate With Non-Designers
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned as a designer is that not everyone sees design the way I do. The marketing manager might not know why one typeface works better than another. The business owner might not know what visual hierarchy means. The client might not understand why changing one small element affects the rest of a layout.
It’s our job to communicate the reasoning behind our decisions without expecting everyone else to speak “designer.”
Bad example:
“The hierarchy isn’t working.”
Great example:
“The headline and call-to-action are competing for attention, so I’m going to make the headline more prominent and let the button become the second thing you notice.”
Breaking things down avoiding technical terms helps with comprehension.
Don’t Just Present the Design. Explain the Thinking.
“Here’s what I made. What do you think?”
This can be met with incredibly vague feedback. So, give people some context around what you’re presenting.
What was the problem? What were you trying to accomplish? Why did you make certain decisions? How does the solution address the original goal?
This changes the conversation. Instead of discussing whether someone simply likes the design, you’re discussing whether the design is accomplishing its purpose. This leads to a much more productive conversation.
“I Don’t Like It” Isn’t the End of the Conversation
Every designer eventually hears some version of:
“I don’t really like it.”
Don’t fret, this is PART of the conversation, not the end, add to the dialogue: “What specifically isn’t working for you?”
Maybe the design feels too formal. Maybe the colors don’t match what they imagined. Maybe the message isn’t clear. Maybe they’ve seen something similar from a competitor. Or maybe they simply expected something completely different.
Try to differentiate from personal preference to specific feedback. Feedback is something you can evaluate.
Designers Need to Explain “Why”
One of the most valuable communication skills a designer can develop is being able to explain why.
Why this color? Why this typeface? Why this layout? Why this photograph? Why this amount of white space? Why does the logo need to be this size?
Here’s a bad example:
“I just thought the green looked better because I like green.”
And here’s a good example:
“I chose the darker green because it gives the brand a more established and premium feeling while still connecting it to the natural side of the product.”
Good Communication Doesn’t Mean Defending Every Decision
There’s another side to this. Communication isn’t about convincing everyone that you’re right. Sometimes your idea isn’t the right solution. Sometimes a client catches something you missed. Sometimes a marketing manager has information you didn’t have. Sometimes the target audience responds differently than expected.
Being able to say: “That’s a good point. I hadn’t considered that.” is just as valuable as being able to defend your work. Good designers aren’t personally attached to being right. We’re more so occupied with solving the problem.
Feedback Is a Two-Way Conversation
Receiving feedback is a skill. Giving feedback is one too.
When giving feedback to another designer, try to focus on:
- The project goal
- The intended audience
- Clarity
- Hierarchy
- Function
- Brand consistency
- The original problem
Instead of simply saying what you personally prefer, as previously mentioned. Note: this doesn’t mean personal taste has no place in design, just try not to make it the entire argument.
Communication Between Designers Matters, Too
Communication becomes even more important when you’re working with other creatives.
A designer will work alongside:
- Marketing managers
- Copywriters
- Photographers
- Developers
- Social media managers
- Sales teams
- Project managers
- Other designers
- Clients and executives
Every person brings a different perspective. A designer who can communicate effectively becomes easier to collaborate with is valuable in almost any creative workplace.
Writing Is Part of Design
Communication doesn’t only happen in meetings. Designers communicate through writing constantly. Emails. Creative briefs. Project notes. Presentation decks. Design rationales. File names. Handoff instructions. Social media copy. Client messages.
Even a poorly named file can create unnecessary confusion. Learning to write clearly and concisely can make your entire workflow easier. No need to sound corporate. Don’t use complicated design terminology. Just make it easy for another person to understand what you mean.
Communication With the Audience
There’s one more collective every designer needs to communicate with:
The audience!
Ultimately, the design isn’t for the designer. It’s for someone who may have never seen the project before. That person doesn’t know the design brief. They don’t know the decisions that went into the layout. They weren’t part of the client meetings. They only see the final result.
If the audience doesn’t understand the message, the design hasn’t communicated effectively, regardless of how attractive it looks. Visual hierarchy, spacing, and composition are important communication tools to effectively convey information with the audience.
The Best Designers Aren’t Always the Most Technical
Knowing how to use Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Figma, After Effects, or any other tool is valuable. But software knowledge has a ceiling. There will always be another feature to learn. Another plugin. Another update. Another program. Another technique.
Communication is different. The better you become at listening, asking questions, and understanding other people’s perspectives, the more useful your design skills become.
The designer who can create beautiful work is valuable. The designer who can understand a problem, explain it clearly, and collaborate with others is much more versatile.
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Communication Makes Your Design Stronger
Design and communication aren’t separate skills. They’re connected. We are translators of information. Every design is communicating something. The question is whether you’re communicating it intentionally. And every project involves communicating with the people around you.
So the next time you’re working on a design project, ask:
“What am I trying to communicate? Am I communicating it clearly?”
That question can change the way you approach the entire project. Because at the end of the day, design is communication, and communication is a skill worth designing.
See Case Studies in Action
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