A free course about creative

collaboration for

Designers
written by Jarrod Drysdale at thetinydesigner.com

1. Priceless
Creative work has no value. Or does it?
When I worked at ad agencies, there was this joke about the
creatives. It went like this:
Every copywriter has a half-written novel manuscript they are
hoping to get published. Every designer practices fine art on
the weekends hoping to eventually become a full-time painter
or photographer.
However, we creatives had a different way of telling the joke:
When a client tours the oce, an accounts person would
make the inevitable crack about novels or painting to earn
free bonus points with the client. We creatives always politely
laugh, then return to our desks to try and find a new creative
way to sell used cars for the client, as our souls die just a little
bit more.
Theres nothing wrong with designing ads to sell used cars.
Theres nothing wrong with selling used cars, either. Thats not
the point.
The point of this story is that there is always a question about
the value of creative work, and an assumption that creative

professionals are selling out to make ads because they cant

pay the bills with art.
Is creative work valuable anymore? When anyone can write a
blog, listen to a song for free, or design something pretty on
Squarespace, it can seem that creative professions are going
the way of the dodo bird.
Could the design industry be headed in the same direction
as the music industry, for example? Many types of design
services and products imply they can replace human
designers: themes, design software, hosted website services,
etc.
Seeing this, designers throw their hands up in frustration.
Its tempting to think that no one values design anymore.
Designers feel their profession is being threatened by cheap
substitutes, and fear that the value of what they do is being
diminished.
However, to clients and other non-designers, those other
avenues of achieving design are so exciting because the
results are predictable. Design is mysterious and dicult to
understand to everyone except professional designers. It can
feel like a select few are holding this essential tool hostage.
Why shouldnt non-designers circumvent designers, when
theyre trying to protect a monopoly?

At the heart of this issue is the question of what design is and

what it can accomplish.
For example, can a $10 (or free) theme deliver the same results
as a $10,000 custom site design?
This often leads to finger pointing. Designers get accused of
being money grubbing con artists, and non-designers get
accused of being cheapskates.
The accusations arent doing anyone any good. Before anyone
can begin to answer that question objectively, we need to take
a step back and examine what design is and what it can do.
We need a common sense definition.

Purpose
Youre a designer, so you know that definition already: design
is creative work with a purpose.
Purpose is critical when evaluating design because instead
of judging based upon aesthetics, which are dominated
by personal taste and plagued with subjectivity, its easy to
measure whether a purpose is achieved.
However, in your dealings with clients, programmers, and
other non-designers, when was the last time you actually
discussed that purpose? Id wager you usually discuss the

specifics of a design.
After all, youre trying to defend your work and make sure the
result will perform, and when your counterpart is asking you to
make the logo bigger or remove some critical interaction, you
have to do something to make sure the design isnt ruined.
So you answer with something like this: If we make the logo
bigger, it wont look as good.
And what always happens? The other person wont give and
you end up having to make the logo bigger.
This is because you arent connecting the specifics of a design
to purpose. Of course the design will look worse with an
obnoxiously large logo dominating the visual hierarchy. But
what does that mean for the goals of the design? It almost
certainly means the design isnt going to drive sales or
communicate the message as clearly.
But thats not what you said. You said the design wouldnt look
as nice.
This is exactly why people dont seem to value design; we
dont explain it to them well enough. When we fight even tiny
changes to our design or claim SquareSpace Logo is bad,
we can come across as petty. No one else but a designer
understands why a gigantic logo can cause a design to be

unsuccessful or what the difference is between DIY and

custom design. Theyll never know unless we teach them.
Unfortunately, designers dont get to just design things.
We have to work with others, and that means we have to
advocate for our work. Designing things is only a part of our
job, and it might even be less important than the process of
selling the work.
When professional designers talk about design, we will
describe it in grand terms. Well use clever metaphors and big
words, but what non-designers hear is gibberish. They dont
get it.
We need to learn to connect design to the goals and needs of
the people we work with. We need to explain it in terms they
can understand in order for them to see the value.
Thats what The Tiny Designer is all aboutexplaining design
in a simple way so that non-designers can understand why it
should matter to them.
Its about fighting for the design profession and proving what
we designers can do.
When non-designers finally understand that design can
deliver results and its not just about pretty colors and
typefaces, we designers wont have justify our $10,000

custom sites designs against free themes.

The difference will be as obvious to clients and coworkers as it
is to us.

2. The Design Toll

Why do you want this designed?
Its the first question I ask everyone I work with. You know
where Im going with this.
Usually the answer is that the person has a really great idea
and wants to bring it to life. They appreciate good design.
They want a design like Apples website.
You and I have heard this same thing a hundred times,
but admiring design is good. As a designer, when people
understand and appreciate design, youll earn more respect
and more work.
So let them admire Steve Jobs and Jony Ive. They should try to
build a business like Apple. Work with those non-designers to
craft some incredible marketing.
Just know theres a danger in comparing your designs to
Apple. I call it the Design Toll.
Imagine that running a business is like driving down a road,
and eventually every non-designer will encounter a toll booth.
On the booth is a little sign that says:
Design Toll. Deposit fortune to launch your business.

For your clients, boss, or coworkers, its tempting to think

that if they pay that toll, they will arrive at the destination and
achieve a successful business. Theyve listened and finally
understand that design is valuable!
However, when others start to appreciate design, it is so easy
for them to misunderstand what it is.
I once met a person who described himself, unprompted, like
this: Im a design fanatic. I obsess over design. I dont buy
anything unless it has a great design. I watched the Steve Jobs
documentary and, man, I really want to do something like that.
I want the site for my startup to look like Apple.
On the call, I had to suppress a laugh. This person wasnt a
designer. They were more excited about design than I think
Ive ever been in a decade of doing it full time.
To this enthusiastic, well-meaning person, design had
become, well, a bit of a fetish. It was also a status symbola
way to show off his intelligence and good taste. Worse, he
saw design as a simple solution he could buy off the shelf and
apply to his business that would guarantee success.
He was ready to pay the design toll. By hiring me for a nice
design, he knew his business was going to be the next big
thing.

As successful and smart as this guy truly is, he had the wrong
idea about design.

Present design as a tool

When someone you work with has unrealistic or inaccurate
expectations for the design, its your job to set them straight.
Tutoring people this way probably seems like the last thing
you want to be doingmaybe you just want to go design
things. But taking on the mindset of a teacher is how youll
get to do your best work. (Its also how youll keep insane
expectations from derailing the project.)
Of course, you already know purpose is intrinsic to design.
Further, you know that design cant be just about making
something look pretty. Design is form and function. However,
non-designers have a hard time understanding that and
relating it to their goals.
I often explain it to non-designers like this. If you were building
a house, you would briefly consider the tools youd need: a
hammer, tape measure, etc. But youd spend most of your
time thinking about what the house you wanted to build
should be like. Design is the same way. Yes, you should think a
bit about the tools of design: colors, fonts, etc. But think more
about the result you want to achieve using them. If you spend
all your time picking tools, youll never get anything built. Dont

pick out the carpet color before youve built a roof.

Further Ill explain that while design really can do amazing
things, it also cant guarantee a businesss success like
some non-designers might expect. Continuing that analogy
of building a house, just possessing a hammer doesnt
guarantee the structure you build wont fall over.
Of course, you cant build a house without a hammer.
Businesses need design. Its a tool that will help them achieve
goals. We designers are in the position to bring about a lot of
success.

Results-driven design removes

distractions
Teach non-designers to think about the people who will be
using a design instead of ourselves when making decisions.
Some designers are better at this than others, but all nondesigners are absolutely terrible at it.
I once told a client that if I designed using my own personal
taste, every site I made would be orange. I really like orange
practically half the stuff in my house is orange, and I use it for
my own design projects all the time. The client thought I was
joking until I showed him a photo of my living room.

Find a funny analogy like this to use with the non-designers in

your life. Youll need to remind them constantly that they need
to make decisions based upon what they target audience will
respond to instead of following their personal preferences. A
goofy story is a good way to break the ice and remind them of
that neutral perspective. (Feel free to steal mine.)
When you redirect them to focus on the result instead of the
specifics of the design, youll find that you wont butt heads
with non-designers so often. Feelings wont get hurt, and egos
wont cause the project to derail.
Focusing on results provides a neutral perspective for
everyone involved. Instead of competing, everyone realizes
theyre working together to achieve something. The difference
this makes is incredible.

Remind them what design can do

Reminding non-designers to focus on the goal is great, but
they rarely understand what is actually possible. Heres a quick
rundown of how you can explain it in simple terms.
Trust
Studies show that aesthetics will earn trust on a subconscious
level within milliseconds. When someone sees a design that
appeals to them visually, they trust it more. So, having a pretty

design isnt just a nice-to-have; it has real world implications.

If you want people to trust your business, you need a quality
aesthetic. Further, design principles will guide you to creating
an aesthetic to appeal to a specific audience. Its about way
more than looking nice in a general senseyou can target an
aesthetic to appeal to your exact customers or users. The trust
earned will only increase with a targeted style.
Usability
Design also improves how people use objects and interfaces.
On a website, if the reader cant find the information they
want or if its hard to read, they will leave to find it somewhere
else. For an object or software, if the person doesnt
understand how to use it to accomplish a task, theyll stop
using it.
This directly relates to the success of a business: if people
cant understand how to use the product, theyre not going to
pay for it. Businesses need design to earn profit.
Emphasis
Visual tools can be used to emphasize the important parts of
a message so that the audience doesnt miss it. This sounds
simple, but its actually quite a complex problem. For example,
on a website, you can plan a path through the content and use
visual hints to guide the reader from element to element. Its

a powerful way to take them to the action you want them to

perform, like purchasing something.
As a business, you want customers to see the important
marketing messages and take the right action. Design is how
you do that.
Business Goals
All of these points are about achieving business goals: earning
sales, finding new leads, streamlining processes, and making
great products.
When you explain design as a tool and not a tollas a way to
achieve a purposeyoull remove a lot of the frustrations of
working with non-designers.
I tell my design clients that I wont accept a project if I dont
believe my work will pay for itself by affecting the businesss
bottom line.
I know my work can deliver results, and I make that clear right
up front. We designers need to start positioning our services
this way. Not only will it help you get hired more often or
advocate for your ideas with more success at work, but youll
start see people treating you with more respect.

3. The Creativity Gap

I dont know about you, but after 10 years of being a designer,
Im tired of hearing about creative types.
Do any of these sound familiar?
I wouldnt know about colors, Im not the creative type.
Deadlines? Yeah, right. You know those creative types.
According to the stereotype, we are simultaneously brilliant,
tortured, and unreliable. We indulge our whims and disregard
the consequences because we cant help it, poor us.
When I do creative work, I feel a lot more like a scientist than
the emotional basket case that popular culture often describes
me as. I bet youre the same.
Theres a ton of research about creativity that indicates that
the creative type really is a myth, and the we designers have
been right all along.
According to Robert Epstein, a psychologist and creativity
researcher, everyone is capable of creativity, but not everyone
has developed skills to express it, which he calls creativity
competencies.

...The generative mechanisms that underlie creativity are

universal. After all, variability is the rule in behavior; no one
brushes his or her teeth the same way twice, and it is rare to
repeat the same sentence. We also negotiate our way through
new supermarkets and malls reasonably well; in other words,
novel stimuli reliably produce novel, fairly effective behaviours
in just about everyone. We all solve problems, large and small,
throughout the day. We all daydream, we all have fantastic
dreams at night...But if generative mechanisms are universal,
why do so few people express creativity? First, as part of the
socialization process that begins when children enter the first
grade (at about age 6), children are severely discouraged from
expressing new or unusual ideas...Second, the expression of
creativity depends on a set of competenciesparticular skills
and abilities that underlie successful performance.
(Source: Encyclopedia of Creativity PDF excerpt, pages 764765)
The science indicates that we creative professionals are really
no different from anyone else. The only difference is a choice;
that weve worked hard to improve our creative competencies.
However, we face negative implications of the creative type
myth daily. Some people do not value our work, or treat us
as unreliable. Many accuse designers of being selfish or selfindulgent when we make recommendations. Too often, were
not respected as the experts we truly are.

The best way to fight the creative type stereotype and thus
build appreciation for the design profession is to consider how
we present ourselves and our work.
Admittedly, there is a side to creative work that is
unpredictable. We all have those days when a design isnt
coming together and when you start to think Oh no, this
design is never going to look right, Im such a hack, what am
I even doing, I should quit design forever. And then, after a
brisk walk, it all comes together with a perfection thats too
sweet to describe.
There is a magic to what we do, and it can be dicult to
explain that aspect of the work to people whove never
experienced it.
But maybe we dont need to.
Our clients and coworkers crave the insight we can provide
and the results we can deliver. However, all they see is the
magic. They dont understand how design is made, which
makes judging its value dicult for them.
As creative professionals, we so often discourage others from
joining in on the creative process. Its dicult enough to stare
down our own doubts without having to train a bunch of
novices in how to evaluate creative ideas.

While there are dicult days when we face doubts and the
uncertain parts of creativity, there are a lot more days when
we just show up and do the work. No one else sees the 50
logo concepts you throw away before you find the design you
will actually present.
Non-designers have no clue that this kind of thing happens.
All they hear about is the rollercoaster of emotions, which is
really only a small part of creative work and decreases with
experience.
Were telling people about the wrong parts of the creative
process, and in doing so, propelling the creative type
stereotype.
This is silly, but Im really fond of explaining the more
predictable side of creative work like this: its beating your
head against the wall until something breaks.
What I mean is that creativity is dicult, strenuous, and brave
work. Its working late into the night when you finally found
inspiration, and then waking up early to grind out the rest of
the design even after its gone. The muse is elusive, and most
days, designers have to work very hard to find good ideas.
So instead of trying to explain the mysterious part or the
feeling of an idea materializing on the pagewhich others are
probably never going to understand anywaywhy not explain

the hard work? Instead of propelling the myth of the creative

genius, show non-designers that great ideas are the product
of hard work.
Most of the work we do is quantifiable and understandable.
There is a fundamental nature to why we arrange layouts the
way we do and to how we pick colors. Theres a scholarship to
using typography well.
We can teach these things, and in doing so, completely shatter
the myth of the creative type.

The Creativity Advocate

What is the smoothest design project youve ever completed?
During this project, did the stakeholder (the client or your boss)
leave you alone to let you make all the decisions, or did they
participate?
When I look back on my favorite and most successful projects,
there is one similarity: the client was extremely excited about
what we were building and wanted to join in.
The projects where I was left to my own devices and
allowed to make all the decisions turned out worse. They
sometimes looked betternot alwaysbut they also tended
to underperform. Even when Id had a decade of experience

under my belt.
Now, you might be thinking Im a terrible designer. Maybe
thats the case (its not, wink), but I think the reason those
projects underperformed was that I was left to make
assumptions.
So, why is that the ideal? As designers, why do we want others
to just leave us the hell alone so we can go make a design the
way we think is best?
Our designs can benefit from the excitement and
contributions of others. In fact, to do great work, we absolutely
must have that input.
However, we prevent ourselves from getting the information
we need from the business, programming, and marketing
experts who we work with and for.
Designers need to stop locking others out of the creative
process.
Like the research I shared with you earlier indicates, everyone
is creative. But when we act as gatekeepers and refuse to
let non-designers join in the creative process when they are
clearly capable of contributing, were only reinforcing the
negative stereotypes about creative professionals.
So often, we approach designs like the experts, and staunchly

defend our positions no matter what. If the commenter has no

design experience, their opinion is unwelcome.
But this is wrong. As designers, we should be advocates of
creativity. We should be encouraging others to join in the
creative process so that we can teach them what it means and
why it is valuable.
Think that if you taught a client about design that youd
be putting yourself out of a job? On the contrary; teaching
only builds appreciation for our profession amongst nondesigners.
Im tired of justifying my rates against cheap themes and
design students on Fiverr. Im tired of seeing software
launches that imply Im overcharging my clients. I know you
are tooIve read the threads on Designer News.
So, lets make a change.
Now, Im not suggesting you let the programmer on your
team take a stab at redesigning the UI of a critical feature. But
instead of throwing a design at them and refusing to make
any changes, walk that programmer through your thinking
and explain why your design is critical to the success of the
project. Dont reject their ideas outright, but teach how and
why to evaluate every creative concept.

Next time a client asks you to make the logo bigger, ask them
why. Connect that mundane aspect of the visual style to their
business goals, and teach them why the logo should remain at
the size you set originally.
At each interaction with a non-designer, become a guide
and mentor. Elevate the conversation beyond details and
talk about goals. Take these people through every step of
your design process and teach them why you arrived at your
solution. Tell them why the idea they just had off the top of
their head is wrong and why you already ruled it out, and even
brave showing them all the iterations you had to scrap along
the way. I guarantee you that theyre going to be astounded at
the amount of thought you put into your work.
The value of what we do lies in our skill, thoughtfulness, and
diligencenot our creativity. Design is a profession, not a
calling. Instead of fighting for every minor aspect of a design
as if your career depends upon it, become a teacher. Prove the
value in what you do.
Become a creativity advocate, and youll find that our
profession isnt in jeopardy one bit.

4. How design theories

relate to business goals
Note: this section was broken into two separate lessons, #4
and #5, in the email course.
If youre like most designers, youve probably talked about
how a design feels:
This design feels busy.
The colors feel a bit too impersonal.
That font feels too silly for your brand.
What exactly does that mean? If you think about it, quantifying
a feeling is impossible.
This is exactly why design can seem so mysterious; we talk
about feelings instead of getting specific.
We designers almost talk about feelings more than therapists.
We do this because its faster than explaining in specific terms,
and we think it will be easier for non-designers to understand.
However, this kind of language actually further obscures the
rock-solid, scientific concepts that we build our designs on top
of. We designers often do a really poor job of explaining our

thinking.
Of course, you know that if you used the specific terms, nondesigners would have a more dicult time understanding
because they dont know the jargon. (Although, to be fair,
more junior-level designers might not be totally conscious of
the exact theories and often act upon instinct, which is why
theyll struggle to explain their work in simple terms.)
Describing a design in terms of feelings isnt nearly specific
enough. Its a well-meaning but unsuccessful layer of
abstraction. So what are we supposed to do?
We need to teach basic design concepts, so that our clients,
bosses, programmers, and other colleagues can understand
what we do.
However, just teaching design basics isnt enough. No one but
us cares what proximity is unless we also teach how it will
affect them.
We need to start relating every aspect of a design to the other
persons goals.
For example: that classic client request to make the logo
bigger. Instead of saying it will look bad, explain that a bigger
logo will change the visual hierarchy and make the CTA more
dicult to find. The client certainly wants people to click that

CTA, but they dont realize that a bigger logo affects this.
The remainder of this course will step through the visual
design fundamentals you already know, but will teach you to
explain them to non-designers in simple terms. Youll learn
how to connect design theories to the goals of your clients or
boss.
This is valuable because youll be advocating for good design.
Youll build appreciation for what you do, and youll finally
have a better way to respond when they say Make the logo
bigger.
(Oh, and like I mentioned at the end of the previous lesson,
I suggest you teach visual design concepts before trying to
get people to understand more advanced topics like user
experience.)

Visual Hierarchy

This might be the most important design concept to teach. Ive

personally seen a huge shift in attitudes during design projects
when a client understands that Im structuring a hierarchy in
the design to achieve a very specific purpose. Explaining it as
follows has worked well:
Every single piece of a design has a relative importance. On
every page of a website, for example, there is 1 thing that is
more important than anything else or that the visitor needs to
see first. Then, there is also a second important item, and so
on.
This is called a visual hierarchy. To create one, I make a list of
all the items on the page in order of importance. Then, I use
visual hints to present that relative importance.

An example of this is a headline font size, which is bigger

than a subheader font size, which in turn is also bigger than
the paragraph font size. This is a simple visual hierarchy,
and applying the same strategy to every element in a design
works the exact same way, except that Ill use a variety of tools
beyond size, such as color, contrast, or space.
How visual hierarchy matters for goals
A proper visual hierarchy will allow us to emphasize the
important parts in a design so that your audience doesnt miss
them.
It will direct people to do the thing you want them to dothe
call to action or CTAlike purchasing a product, filling out a
form, or learning an important piece of information.
Visual hierarchy is how you get what you want from the
design were making together. Having no hierarchy in a design
is like drinking from a firehose; upon first glance, the reader
doesnt know where to look. We want to decide where they
look first and then guide their eyes to the next important
element too.

Alignment

In my opinion, the easiest way to tell if a design is made by an

experienced designer is alignment. Regardless of whether you
agree, the grid is a serious matter; it makes or breaks design.
Its simple to explain, but dicult to do well. However, nondesigners dont need to master it. They only need to learn why
you arrange elements the way you do. Explain it like this:
Alignment is part of how elements are arranged on a page;
its just like aligning a paragraph to the right or left in Word or
Google Docs.
To use alignment properly, imagine there are evenly-spaced
vertical lines running through the entire length of the design.
The left and right edges of every single item should fall along
these lines, which we designers call a grid.

We want to align as many items as possible along the same

grid lines.
How alignment matters for goals
Properly aligned compositions look vastly more professional.
Its a major factor in whether a design looks trustworthy.
Further, alignment makes a design more neat and organized
so that its easier to read or use. This means that your readers
will find what they want without frustration. Theyll be more
likely to take the action you want them to perform and more
likely to stay put.

Proximity

You could explain all the Gestalt Principles, but Ive found that
doing so confuses non-designers and provides way more
detail than necessary. That said, proximity is a simple and
important concept. Its also very easy to relate to goals.
Proximity is about grouping items within a design. Theres a
ton of psychological research about spatial relationships, but
the part you need to know is that we can use this psychology
to increase a persons understanding of a design.
When a person sees a grouping of items, they infer a
relationship between them. So, you can group items within
a design to imply that they are related, so that the person
doesnt have to read every single one of them to know what
they are or what they do.

How proximity matters for goals

With proximity, a reader will spend less time readingtheyll
be able to find what they want more quickly because they can
scan through the composition and understand the function of
elements without studying each one individually.
Proximity increases the speed at which people understand an
interface or presentation and thus makes it easier to use. This
is critical for meeting your goals.

Spacing

We designers are often criticized for our use of white space.

Some critics view it as a fashion statement or exercise in
minimalism. Youve probably had people ask why they cant
just fill the empty spaces with more text or photos. Obviously,
doing that is going to make the design very dicult to read
and use. I explain spacing like this:
Punctuation is to writing as spacing is to design. Correct use
of space in a design will provide a rhythm and pace for easy
reading and use.
Lack of spacing is like run-on sentences or
wordsthatruntogether. (See what I did there?) It is frustrating
and dicult to wade through. When people browse a design
without spacing they get frustrated and give up.

How spacing matters for goals

Proper space enhances usability and readability.
Spacing isnt a fashion statement, like some design critics
might claim. Its a tool I use to enhance the clarity of your
composition.
You wouldnt want me to use a tiny font size that people
couldnt read, right? Well, we need the empty space so that
the surrounding elements are easier to read. If we cram them
all together, its much more dicult.

Contrast

This concept is often misunderstood; most people think that

contrast refers only to the difference between colors. As you
know, thats only a partial definition. Heres what I tell people:
Contrast is a visual difference that we can achieve in any
number of ways. Certainly color is one option, but elements
that differ in size, position, space, typography styles, and other
qualities contrast one another too.
How contrast matters for goals
This distinction is important because I use contrast to add
emphasis or to visually reinforce meaning. Its a big part of
creating a visual hierarchy, too. Therefore, by varying contrast
throughout a composition, the design will guide people to the
important parts.

Repetition

When most non-designers hear of repetition, they picture a

mirror image or a pattern. They think repetition means just
duplicating and reusing the exact same element. Of course,
its really about building consistency within a design. Heres an
example I often use to explain this:
Readers need to be able to distinguish section headers
from subheaders. If every header had a different font size,
it would be impossible to tell whether each was a header or
subheader. You use repetition to make this clear, by using the
exact same font size for every header, and a second style for
all subheaders. This way, readers understand the structure of
the content.
Also clarify that repetition is important for the exact same

reason for other aspects of a design, like color and spacing; a

design should have a limited color palette that is applied in a
consistent, repetitive way and equal spacing around elements.
How repetition matters for goals
Designs that use repetition look professional and earn trust,
but they are also easier to understand because of consistency.
This is another of those less conspicuous design theories;
non-designers might not notice repetition when its used
well but they will certainly notice when a design lacks it. So,
consider pointing out how you use repetition to make type
systems and color schemes. The value of what we designers
do isnt always immediately obvious upon first glance.

Note: Many non-designers get frustrated at this point. They

think we are suggesting both contrast and repetition which is
contradictory. It absolutely is. Deciding which to use is a skill,
and this is where you should be showing your value as an
expert. So, point out why you use one or the other when you
present your work.

Color

You might completely disagree with me here, but stick with

me.
In my first book, I wrote that color is the most dicult part of
design to master, and I still feel that way. You can study color
theory or use the color wheel and gain zero knowledge that
will help you to actually pick colors and use them in a design.
The color wheel is basically the Wheel of Fortune. You can spin
it, and no matter where the pointer lands, you end up with a
puzzle. So I say: refuse to play the game.
This is where the true value of an expert designer is hidden.
When a non-designer sees a nice design, they dont realize
how much experience is required to get the colors just right.

Theyre oblivious of how dicult this really is until they try to

pick colors themselves, and nothing looks right.
Color Theory is a complex topic. It includes: the emotion of
color, which is vague and often conflicting; primary, secondary,
tertiary, and complementary colors, which are functionally
useless after Kindergarten; and the color wheel, which is the
direct cause of much confusion and frustration.
We designers navigate all these complicated factors well, but
they are guaranteed to confuse the non-designers you work
with. Heres a list of points you can use to teach people how
color works in design:
Humans interpret color relative to other nearby colors
Color inspires emotion
Color contrast is important for readability and usability
Color blindness is surprisingly common: color should
never be the only visual tool you use to supply information,
no matter the medium
In design, color should be used consistently; every design
should have a color scheme and a specific use for each
color it includes
How color matters for goals
Non-designers tend to see color as a personal choice. Their

experiences are limited to picking out paint for their bedroom

walls.
Use this to your advantage. Teach them about the relativity
of color by demonstrating how colors shift in relation to one
another:
If you were picking out a color for your bedroom wall, youd
take a paint swatch home and test it in the morning light and
evening light. It looks totally different at home than it did in
the store, right? Well, when I pick colors for your design, I do
the same thing. I pick colors the match one another to build a
harmony, and sometimes to create contrast.
However, dont stop there. Connect color to their goals too:
In the same way that a dark red paint color would feel very
different in a bedroom than a light yellow, I picked colors
for your design to create a very specific feeling. This feeling
reinforces your brand and builds trust with your audience.
Color is a powerful way to convey emotion, and were going to
use the trust it creates with your audience to get them to take
action.

Typography

To non-designers, picking out fonts is fun and trivial. This is

also how typography betrays them.
Using typography well requires a practiced hand, but they
dont know this. Theyve certainly heard the rumbling about
how Comic Sans and Papyrus are bad fonts but doubtlessly
use them anyway.
When discussing typography or dealing with someone who
says they dont like that font, instead of using type terms to
explain why its a good choice, cut to the underlying goal.
Explain that while decorative fonts are fun and expressive,
they arent appropriate for every design. Remind them of their
goals, and explain how that handwriting font isnt fitting for a

financial company logo, for example.

Another anecdote I enjoy telling is about Arial. It goes like this:
I bet that you think Arial is a boring font. Let me tell you a little
secret: Arial is nearly identical to its widely-used cousin with a
sexier reputation: Helvetica. Even most professional designers
cannot tell the difference between Arial and Helvetica, unless
the sample has an uppercase R or a lowercase a.
Its a great way to explain how complex typography is, while
setting yourself up as the expert. Theres no way a nondesigner is going to be able to tell apart Arial and Helvetica,
and when you explain that you can, youll get instant respect
and theyll start to back away from the idea of using Papyrus.
A different example, shown above, is to teach that a modern
typeface design looks completely different from what most
would expect. When they think modern, non-designers
are usually picturing something like Helvetica Light, but you
and I know that modern typefaces are something very, very
different.
How typography matters for goals
Type is one of the most powerful tools that we designers have
available. Its a lot like the tone of writing or the psychology of
color. It is a key component in establishing which emotions a

design evokes. Of course, typography also affects readability.

It ultimately helps determine people understand and judge a
design.

Does teaching all of this sound like a

lot of work?
Maybe youre one of those people who gets angry when
someone asks you to make a change to your design. You feel
disrespected.
I know how that feels, and I spent a lot of years reacting this
way.
Want respect? Teaching is how you build respect and how you
can prevent getting asked those questions again in the future.
Its part of our job as designers.
The better job you do of teaching, the less you will have to do
it. When you become a design mentor, youll be able to clear
feedback hurdles more easily and just go design cool stuff.
Dont believe me? Try it one time. You dont need to teach
every concept at the beginning of every project. Instead, wait
until a silly item of feedback rears its ugly head. Then, put on
your best teacher face, and instead of reacting emotionally,
get specific about why and how you made the decision.
Explain how this change will actually prevent the other person
from getting what they want.
From that moment on, youll have the respect youve been
wanting. Theyll finally see you as an expert because this is

what experts do.

Youre an expert, so act like it. Start teaching.

What if theyre still not convinced?

Im going to level with you: Ive been very critical of designers
in the past. It absolutely infuriates me when I see other
designers out there obscuring the value of what we do.
There are so many people out there who need design but who
arent getting it. The value of design is massive, but so many
non-designers think its a fashion accessory.
We can do better. We can do a hell of a lot better.
I sincerely hope that this little course is a tiny (wink) way of
advancing our profession. We need to start teaching the value
of what we do, or well lose more work to WYSIWYG software
and eLance wannabes. Lets open up the gates and let people
participate. Lets train young designers in the fundamentals
and mentor them through the strenuous task of gaining skill in
design. Lets build a better reputation for designers.
All of this starts with understanding how to explain the things
we do. I humbly present for your consideration these simple
ideas. Even if you disagree with what Ive written here, I hope
Ive at least convinced you of the importance of teaching.

So, back to the original question: what if the non-designers

you work with still are not convinced that all these theories
really matter for their goals?
The answer is simple: keep teaching. Dont let up. Youve got
to go all Robin Williams, Oh captain, my captain! on them.
Prove the value in what you do by revealing all the science and
thoughtfulness lurking behind the curtain.

Never let designs

importance be in
question again
Learn to explain why your work matters and how to sell it
to your clients, non-designer coworkers, and other project
stakeholders.

Theres a lot more for you to learn

This free course is just the beginning. If you havent already,
make sure to enter your email at thetinydesigner.com.
Youll receive more free lessons and actionable content, all
intended to serve you in advocating for your design career.
Oh, and people who subscribe will get a discount on The Tiny
Designer book when its ready. (Dont worry, I wont spam you.
You can unsubscribe anytime.) I have some fun and useful
suprises planned for you: materials to help you teach and
train the non-designers you work with, more lessons, and
inspiration.
Thanks for reading. Feel free to email me anytime.
Jarrod Drysdale, @studiofellow