Communication in Design

One of the essential traits I find in good designers is the ability to explain ideas and concepts clearly.

Verbally, supported by visual aid or on the spot doodle, they get the point across regardless of who the audience is.

Explaining concepts and ideas to the CEO of a global corporation. Or a regular commuter who designer wanted to interview or test a prototype with. Or a fellow developer.

The hard part for many is getting out of the “IT crowd” lingo bubble, switching to simpler language, fighting the fear to come across unprofessional, fear of wasting the precious time for what might feel like a trite explanation.

I believe this to be an essential skill, since failing to communicate in a clear way results in misunderstandings impacting the user experience, delivery timelines, missed opportunities for collecting relevant feedback.

Let’s not be afraid to spend extra time and effort explaining.