How to Talk about Design
Designer Discourse with Ray Ho and Lorenzo Fernandez
As the role of the designer matures it’s become increasingly important for designers to be able to talk and write about their work. Designers have moved away from just executing someone else’s vision to becoming an essential part of the product-making process. But to really claim their space at the decision-making table and ensure their work has greater impact, designers must become better skilled at communicating the value of their work both to management and other teams throughout the organization. If designers don’t talk about their work, no one else will.
Therefore I turned to two of Zalando’ design leads, Ray Ho (Digital Experience) and Lorenzo Fernandez (The Studio), to gain some insight into why they think designers should share their stories and some tips to get started.
Why do you believe it is important for designers to talk about their work?
Ray- I also teach typography at Miami Ad School, and one thing I always tell my students is that in design there is no right or wrong. But there is better or worse and you need to be able to say why you made certain design decisions. And of course there is the fact that those designers who are good at talking about their work generally fare better in their career.
Lorenzo: A big element of being a designer is having empathy, yet sometimes designers don’t understand that the things that are most important to them aren’t as relevant to other stakeholders. We need to have the ability to explain why our designs are relevant to others. Designers often talk about the what, but not the why.
Ray: Exactly. You don’t design for yourself at the end of the day. Designers are not artists. It’s not about self-expression, but about helping other people. To push ideas forward you have to help others understand.
Lorenzo: It’s not about the artefact itself, but how it relates to a problem, a vision.
So how can we convince designers to become better communicators?
Lorenzo: The role of the designer is changing. We are no longer just executing requests. By talking about your design you are setting the stage for other stakeholders, opening the conversation to others. You are creating an opening in the process and therefore becoming part of the process, and having a much greater impact.
Ray: It comes down to whether the designer wants to be in control of the destiny of their work or not… if you want to be the kind of designer who elevates your work above others. Being able to talk about design opens you up to different options. If you can’t eloquently vocalize your thought process you might box yourself into the role of an executor, rather than a problem solver.
Do you have some practical advice to help designers talk about their work?
Lorenzo: As a designer details matter, but when talking to senior stakeholders it’s much more important to talk about the essence of your work. First, you must understand the value proposition. Then, you provide just enough detail to show the big picture, then zoom out again. Go high level, dive deeper, then back again.
Go high level, dive deeper, then back again!
Ray: Of course, it’s also about tailoring your communications. Sometimes it is exactly the details that you should be focusing on, when you’re speaking with engineers for example. There is really never one way of representing your work. You always craft your message depending on the audience. It’s about empathy!
Communication Tips
- Empathy- Think about your audience!
- Think about the why. What is the problem you’re trying to address? Write an abstract.
- Split your communication into 3 parts: say what you’re going to say, say it, and then say what you said. Repeat!
- Present your design decision as one of many options. Talk about what the other options were to show you’ve done your homework and help open the conversation to others.
- Think about the room, the environment, the space. Try to get people to actively engage in the space
