Helpful to think about repurposing design tools we use for understanding users in preparation for any interaction / meeting. By documenting the design decisions and the reasoning behind them, designers can create a reference point for the future.

Additionally, developers can benefit from learning practical tips to improve communication with designers and stakeholders. Greever also goes over ways in which to optimize your meeting for retention including primacy and recency (people remember the first and last thing you say to them), surprise, and plain old repetition. My eyes and ears are wide open, scouting for opportunities to improve the process or communicate better with my team. This practical guide focuses on principles, tactics, and actionable methods for presenting your designs.The difference between a good designer and a great designer is the ability to not only solve the problem, but also to articulate how the design solves it in a way that is compelling and fosters agreement. One of my peers was talking about how the engineers working on her team were uninspired by her designs and frequently asked questions about them until she mocked up the long-term vision. Talking to people about your designs might seem like a basic skill, but it can be difficult to do well. I realised that I tend to swing between number one and two, occasionally touching briefly on number three.

As creatives, Aufait UX has firsthand experience when it comes to the varying perspectives of people on the same design rationale. Be prepared to defend your design decisions, but also be open to feedback and willing to make changes if necessary. Starting with the "why" before delving into the "what" and "how" ensures that you begin from the base, which is the root problem.

Dive in for free with a 10-day trial of the O’Reilly learning platform—then explore all the other resources our members count on to build skills and solve problems every day. Developing stakeholder empathy will enable us to approach them with the right mindset and articulate our design decisions in a way that appeals to their needs. Nidhi is a UX designer at Aufait UX, driven by a deep passion for creating engaging, informative, and inclusive designs that deliver exceptional user experiences. It is possible for designers to feel attached to their designs and get defensive when critical feedback is given. As such we understand the challenges in getting everyone on the same page and the need for articulating design decisions well.

Articulating design decisions is about creating an environment in which stakeholders can see the expertise and thought process of the designers so that they want to agree with them. For example “Yes I understand what you’re saying”, “Yes there are definitely ways we could improve this” or “Yes I agree we need to solve this problem”. To ensure that your clients understand and appreciate your design decisions, it is essential to provide a clear and concise explanation of how they align with project goals, user needs, and business objectives. When articulating design decisions, we always present the logic behind each decision from the user's perspective. Tom packed a lot into an hour, somehow balanced speaking with questions and exercises, and we all took away some great exercise templates.In his book “Articulating Design Decisions”, Tom Greever, design leader, author, and speaker, talks about the importance of clearly communicating and justifying design decisions to clients and team members. Yet as Tom pointed out note-taking isn’t documentation, it’s just a collection of unorganised thoughts or ideas.