Designers do more than make things look pretty. We put much thought and deliberate decision making into creating good design. For those of us doing this day in and out, the process becomes second nature. Yet, familiarity with the process can work against us. Specifically, those of us who focus solely on crafting good design outputs while giving less weight to the presentation side of our work.
Nine times out of ten, we have to explain, defend and justify some, if not all, of our design. Genuinely wanting to understand why and how decisions were made, stakeholders will ask questions. They’ll need to explain the whats, whys and hows to higher-ups when called upon to do so.
Our ability to provide the rationale behind design decisions is what earns us credibility and authority. More importantly, it allows our clients to explain our work and advocate for us within their organization.
Conversely, failure to articulate design decisions does ourselves (and clients) a disservice. When unable to outline design rationale, work becomes subject to the wants, desires and opinions of others. Others who are not usually skilled or trained in the field of design.
The simple and unflattering truth is this:
Your work may be perfectly executed, adhere to design principles and follow best practices. Yet, if you can’t sell your design it will hardly see the light of day.