This article was last updated in 2020. Tools and interfaces change; the principles still apply. Ask us if you want the current version of this advice.
As a designer, I get all kinds of change requests as I work through design comps with a client. “Can you make this bigger?” “Can you make this lighter?” “Can we change the green to mauve?”
These are all pretty specific, eh? Should be easy, right? And they are. But I can tell you that often times I will push back a bit. And I will even go so far as to ask my favorite question… WHY?.
And why do I ask why, you ask? Because I like to be difficult? No. Because I think the client is wrong? No. Because I have the mind of a 4-year-old and must know the whys to everything? Heck, no (ok, maybe a little). But really, I ask WHY? because I care about the purpose of the site and want it to send the right message to the right audience.
Of course everyone involved wants the site to send the right message to the right audience, but it is very easy in a design process to get bogged down in personal preferences and minutia. And my job is to keep the message clear for your audience and to solve design problems.
So rather than me just clicking my mouse to change a color, I try to talk about it. That way we can all stay focused on the big picture of the design and see what the issues really are. And I can go back to my Mac and do my job… solving the design problems at hand.
So, let’s ask WHY? a little more, and hopefully, we will solve more problems than we create. And maybe we should change my title from Designer to Super Queen Design Problem Solver (too much?).
Allan Todd, Chief Marketing Officer
Digital marketing expert with 22+ years in marketing, SEO, content marketing and website design. Has worked with hundreds of businesses in Colorado Springs and nationwide since 1997.
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