I’ve been in the design field my whole adult life, and I spent my childhood and teen years learning about and making art. I know lots of principles about layout, color, typography, negative space, art history, etc. I also have lots of practical experience designing for a variety of clients in myriad industries. Over the years, I’ve developed some serious expertise in design. It’s my job to help clients make informed decisions about design work and to provide them with work that is responsibly made and well-executed.

But all that education and experience doesn’t make me an expert in all things. When I am designing for a client, I have to defer to their target audience’s lived experience to ensure that my work connects. This may take the form of research about the target audience. It may be interviewing members of it directly or surveying them in some way. I don’t read minds and I wouldn’t want to, so I have to do my due diligence to ensure I’m delivering the client’s message in a way that is meaningful to their audience. It’s also key to remember that while my client probably has a great understanding of their target market, they are making assumptions based on their own experiences as well. It’s part of my role to challenge those assumptions.

I think that often as designers - hell, as people - we tend to make decisions based on our own feelings or thoughts. But it’s important, in design and in life, to remember that I am not the default. My experience is not universal. And it’s not more important than anyone else’s.