“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” – Stephen R. Covey
Designers often see the finished space long before anyone else does but clients can’t always read a floor plan or visualize elevations the way you can. That’s where your words become as important as your drawings. Clear, confident dialogue bridges the gap between what’s on paper and what’s in your imagination. When you can translate design into language, you transform confusion into confidence and ideas into approvals.
Skip the jargon and speak in pictures. Instead of “axial alignment” or “fenestration,” try “the way the light lines up across the windows.” The goal isn’t to impress it’s to be understood. Clients don’t need architectural terms; they need to see your ideas through your words. The best designers explain with warmth and clarity, making everyone feel part of the creative process.
Every plan tells a story so tell it like one. Walk your client through the space the way someone will experience it: “Here’s where guests will enter and immediately see the light from that window—we wanted that moment to feel open and welcoming.” Storytelling gives life to linework. It turns static drawings into emotional experiences people can connect with.
After explaining, pause and ask, “Does that make sense?” or “Can you picture it?” Listening is part of translation. It’s how you catch misunderstandings before they become mistakes. When clients feel safe asking questions, they’re more likely to say “yes” with confidence and that means fewer revisions later.
Your drawings may define the design, but your dialogue defines the relationship. The most successful designers aren’t just visual thinkers they’re verbal translators. When you speak your vision clearly, you turn sketches into shared excitement, and every approval feels like teamwork instead of persuasion.
