How to Communicate Effectively with Stakeholders in the Design Process

June 4, 2025
 · 
2 min read

Communication: The Invisible Backbone of Design

Design isn’t just screens, flows, or test reports. Without communication, nothing sticks. It’s communication that holds the entire design process together.

I explored this idea in detail in my article “Communication as the Invisible Part of the Design Process”. As designers, we mediate — between users and business, between technology and expectations. And if we can’t explain our decisions, our designs might as well stay silent.


Designers Are Translators — of Users, Business, and Technology

It’s not just about what you create, but also how you defend and explain it. Being able to articulate design decisions is a professional skill — and one that’s rarely taught in UI courses.

Even the best solution can get rejected in five minutes if no one understands why it looks the way it does.


What Do Stakeholders Really Want?

Not pixel-perfect spacing. Not button colors. They want to know:

  • Does it solve the user’s problem?
  • Can we deliver on time?
  • Does it meet business goals?
  • Can they explain it to their boss?

Your job is to answer these questions before they’re even asked.


What I Learned from “Articulating Design Decisions”

In my book review of Articulating Design Decisions, I highlighted how this book helped me speak confidently to non-design audiences and defend my work without creating friction.

It taught me how to:

  • Handle challenging conversations without being defensive
  • Avoid jargon and explain design in plain language
  • Build trust, even in high-stakes meetings

It’s not a book about sugar-coating. It’s about making design visible and defensible — in a room full of Excel files and deadlines.


My Communication Principles as a UX Designer

🔹 Talk about the problem, not the tool
Don’t say, “I used a dropdown because of the grid.”
Say, “I wanted to reduce decision time by minimizing scrolling.”

🔹 Answer before they ask
Show the mobile version before someone wonders if it exists. Prove you’re thinking big-picture.

🔹 Don’t present. Converse.
Invite input. Ask questions. Let people feel involved — even if the final decision is yours.

🔹 Always have data — even symbolic
Cite a user quote. Reference industry stats. Show how competitors do it. Give your choices context.


If You Can’t Communicate Your Design, It Doesn’t Exist

The harsh truth? If you can’t explain your design decisions clearly, they might as well not exist.
And if no one understands why something looks the way it does — it won’t be adopted or respected.

So don’t treat communication as an “extra.”
It’s the core of your design process.
Design without communication is just a picture.

© Zofia Szuca 2024
Brand and product designer