Communication is key when designing great products. That's why each project should be communicated properly from kick-off. Otherwise, the collaboration will end up extremely frustrating. The difference often comes down to how you communicate and set goals.

A clear brief gives your designer context, goals, and direction without boxing them in. Here's how to make sure your next design collaboration starts smoothly.

A design brief is about what you want to achieve, not a list of how to build it. Don't confuse a brief with a specification. A brief defines goals, problems, constraints, and success criteria. It outlines the direction but leaves room for creative exploration on how to get there. It should provide enough guidance without being prescriptive about implementation details.

A specification, on the other hand, explains how those ideas will be executed later. It's the technical document that follows after design decisions have been made. When briefing designers, start with the "why" and "what," not the "how." This approach empowers designers to bring their expertise to the table and results in solutions you might not have imagined.

Instead of telling a designer "Add an export button in the top-right corner," explain the outcome you want to reach. For example, say "We need a way for users to quickly export their data to CSV format." This approach gives designers the freedom to explore multiple solutions that will better solve the user’s problem.

Avoid vague expressions like "make the UX snappy" or "make the UI crisp." Be specific and measurable. For example, instead of "let's make the pricing page nicer," say "let's improve the trial-to-customer rate" This creates clarity around success metrics and allows designers to focus their creative efforts on solutions that drive real business outcomes.

Designers make better decisions when they understand the full picture. Your product might serve different user groups like admins, end-customers, or affiliate partners. Context helps shape design patterns and ensures designers don't spend time where it doesn't make sense. For example, an admin dashboard might just need a pre-defined list of a few options, while an end-customer interface needs to be more sophisticated and have a custom date picker.

A feature used by two internal users will need a different UX than one serving millions daily. Maybe a custom admin feature you were planning to build could have just been a Google Form. Obviously, for the end user it would have to be a smooth and well-optimised flow connected with the rest of the platform.

Constraints are not blockers, they allow you to focus on what's important. Well-defined constraints actually enhance creativity by providing boundaries. A samplebusiness constraint could be formed as "The product must include a free trial but can't rely on freemium because support costs must stay below 10% of MRR." Understanding this constraint will make it easier to focus on a specific user segment.

Technical constraints are equally important to acknowledge early in the design process. For example, "The current backend isn't optimised for real-time data syncing" lets designers know they shouldn't create interfaces that show live updates in the product, even though this UX would be far superior.

Sharing these constraints early helps designers make conscious decisions that won't require redesigning the same flow over again. When designers understand the full picture of what's possible, they can focus on finding the solution that actually works.

A good design brief doesn't tell a designer what to do, it tells them what problem to solve and how to decide on priorities. Start with goals, outcomes, context, and constraints. This gives your designer the clarity to make better decisions faster.

Great design work doesn't come from perfect instructions, it comes from shared understanding, a clear problem to solve, and great communication.