Can you make this look pretty?

One thing not to ask a designer and three reasons why.

It happened again yesterday. I was working through the details of another user interface problem, and the inciting email landed in my inbox. As soon as I read the harmless subject line, my heart sank. I’d been asked once again to make something look pretty.

It wasn’t the first time in my career as a designer that I’d received a similar request, and it likely won’t be the last. Thankfully it doesn’t happen very often, and it almost always occurs within the context of a new working relationship where the role of design has not yet been integrated at a deeper level within an organization.

Despite knowing these things, I was a little surprised to be reminded of the emotional impact the question in the email had on me, so before moving ahead with my new assignment, I took a moment to draft this brief list of assumptions underlying the very simple question.

1: Asking a designer to make something look pretty assumes that the core problem has already been identified.

One of the fundamental aspects of design is exploring the roots of problems — seeking to understand the deeper meanings, motivations, and influencing systems at the heart of things. A part of this discovery process involves asking clarifying questions about the makeup and desires of the intended audience as well as questions about the goals of the business and the context within which the message or product will be experienced.

Tip to the requester-for-pretty: If you are not able to invite a designer to identify the problem with you, adding the backstory that addresses fundamental questions about the audience, their needs, and the needs of the business will make for a much better product.

2: Asking a designer to make something look pretty assumes that the best solution has already been determined.

Another fundamental aspect of design is imagining possible ideas that might effectively solve the identified problem or meet the identified goal. As these ideas emerge, they are tested, refined, and narrowed — expressing both form and function as drafts, sketches, prototypes, or even semi-finished products that sometimes just don’t look very pretty.

Tip to the requester-for-pretty: If you are not able to invite a designer to imagine and refine possible solutions with you, adding the backstory of how the thing you are handing off was developed into its current state will make for a much better product.

3: Asking a designer to make something look pretty assumes that the primary role of a designer is decoration.

I’m certainly not arguing that pretty is unimportant. The aesthetics of a message or product set the emotional context for engagement. Appearance establishes tone and even can make something function better, at least perceptually, because it is presented with a more attractive surface. Yet even the designer who has attained the highest level of mastery with the elements, principles, and tools of user interface design (or graphic design, visualization design, motion design, industrial design, etc.) still needs to find a way to integrate the form with the function. Asking someone to make something look pretty without also providing a context for understanding and insight diminishes their ability to do little more than provide you with an intuitive guess followed by the worst possible question for a designer to ask a client, “Do you like it?” (For a more extensive overview of things to keep in mind when presenting a design, I highly recommend Mike Monteiro’s advice, especially point #13).

Tip to the requester-for-pretty: If you wait until the end of a much longer process to ask a designer for help, you miss an opportunity for a much more thoughtfully integrated product. If nothing else, along with your request, pass along as much related insight and understanding as possible, and be open to some feedback that may challenge your core assumptions. Also, instead of asking, “Can you make this look pretty?”, consider rephrasing your question to something like:

• Can you make this communicate more clearly?
• Can you make this easier to use?
• Can you make this more enjoyable to experience?

Back to my inbox. In case you’re wondering about the next steps I took with my project, I picked up the phone, called the (well-intentioned, bright, and open-minded) person who sent me the email with the harmless subject line, and began asking some clarifying questions.