How to explain to a designer what you want
You don't need to speak "design" to get a great design. Start with how you want people to feel, show what you like and what you don't, explain who it's for and what it should achieve. A good designer will turn that into a visual direction — and check it with you before designing anything.
Below are 7 simple ways to do it, plus a short checklist you can send to any designer.
Why it's so hard to explain what you want
Most of our clients start the same way: "sorry, I don't really know what I want."
But they always do. They know how they want customers to feel. They know what makes them cringe. They just don't have the words for it — because designers and business owners speak different languages.
You say "modern". The designer hears one of a hundred things: minimal, bold, techy, colorful, clean. Two weeks later you get something nice. It's just not you. And now it's even harder to explain what's wrong.
The good news: you don't need to learn design language. You just need to describe your brand in your own words — and here's how.
7 ways to explain to a designer what you want
1. Start with feelings, not looks
Instead of describing colors or fonts, describe how people should feel when they see your brand. Calm? Excited? Safe? Curious?
Try this: write down every word that comes to mind when you think about your business. Don't filter. Then circle the 3 that feel most like you — and pick the main one.
For example: a wellness studio might land on calm, warm, natural. A tech startup — smart, fast, bold. These three words will guide almost every design decision later.
2. Collect what you like — not only websites
Screenshots are a designer's favorite brief. Save anything that gives you the right feeling: websites, packaging, posters, interiors, photos, even a song or a movie scene.
It doesn't need to be from your industry. A hotel website might inspire a clinic. A record cover might inspire a coffee brand.
For each reference, add one line: what exactly do you like here? The color? The calm? The big bold type? This turns a random collection into a real direction.
3. Show what you don't like
This is just as useful — and often easier. What makes you cringe? What looks cheap, cold or "not us"?
Maybe it's stock photos of smiling people in suits. Maybe it's neon gradients. Maybe it's your competitor's website. Telling a designer what to avoid saves weeks of guessing.
4. Tell your story
Why did you start this business? What makes it different? What do your customers say about you?
A designer doesn't just make things pretty — they translate your story into visuals. The more they know about you, the more the result will feel like you, not like a template.
5. Describe your audience
Who are your customers? How old are they, what do they care about, where else do they shop or spend time online?
The same "modern" looks very different for a 22-year-old student and a 45-year-old business owner. Your audience shapes the design as much as you do.
6. Talk about goals, not just looks
What should the new design do? Get more bookings? Make your brand look more premium so you can raise prices? Help people understand what you offer in 5 seconds?
A design that looks great but doesn't do its job isn't a great design. Clear goals help a designer make smart decisions, not just pretty ones.
7. Use comparisons
If you can't describe it, compare it: "like this brand, but warmer", "like this site, but less serious", "something between Apple and a cozy bookstore".
Comparisons are a shortcut. They give the designer a starting point and a direction to move in.
What a good designer should do on their side
Explaining what you want isn't only your job. A good designer helps you get there. Here's what to expect:
They ask a lot of questions —
about your business, your audience, what you love and what you hate.
They research your market —
so you don't end up looking like your competitors.
They show a moodboard or visual concept first —
so you can react before the real design starts.
They explain their choices —
every color and font should have a reason, not just "it's trendy".
They include revisions —
because the first version is a conversation, not a final answer.
If a designer skips straight to the final design without any of this, that's usually where "nice, but not us" comes from.
How it works in practice: the ORTA community website
When ORTA community came to us, they already had references and a clear idea of what they wanted. Our job was to turn it into a system.
We started by listing every emotion and association the project brought up — and kept the three that truly felt like them: modern, creative, free.
Then we built a moodboard and collected references from brands and sites that carried those feelings. After that, every feeling became a concrete design decision:
- creative → bold, oversized typography and bright brand colors
- free → white space and a simple, open grid
Only then did we plan each block of the site. The result feels like ORTA — because every choice traces back to how they wanted people to feel.
A quick checklist to send to your designer
Copy this, fill in what you can, and leave the rest blank. Even half of it is a great start.
5–10 references you like — with one line on what you like about each
2–3 things you don't like or want to avoid
Your story — why you started and what makes you different
Your audience — who they are and what they care about
Your goal — what the new design should help you achieve
Your deadline and budget — even a rough range helps
You don't need a perfect brief
Most great projects don't start with a 10-page brief. They start with a feeling, a few screenshots and "I'll know it when I see it". That's enough — as long as your designer knows how to ask the right questions.
That's exactly how we work at lunö. Bring a feeling, a story or a folder of screenshots — we'll turn it into a brand and website that feels like you.
