What’s NEW for Me in 2025

As I turned 40 this past year and my business awkwardly but not clumsily entered into its teenage era, turning 13, I learned a tough but necessary lesson: the customer really IS always right, even when it comes to design.

Or, perhaps more accurately, the customer’s needs and perspective are always valid. It’s a distinction I hadn’t fully appreciated until this year, and it has completely reshaped the way I approach my work.

The Confidence Trap

After over a decade of designing for industrial and technical brands, I’d gotten confident. Maybe a little too confident.

I’d tell myself, “I’ve seen it all, I know what’s best,” and I’d approach client work with that mindset.

And you know what?

According to the laws of design, I probably did know what was best. My recommendations were rooted in strategy, psychology, and years of experience. But here’s the thing: knowing what’s best on PAPER doesn’t always mean it’s right in PRACTICE.

Because design isn’t just about being right. It’s about creating something that works for the people paying the invoices and, more importantly, the people engaging with their brand.

And when a client pushed back on my ideas, I realized something humbling: it wasn’t about being wrong or right. It was about LISTENING, UNDERSTANDING, and finding COMMON GROUND.

Emotional Ties and Shared Goals

Many of my clients are not just financially tied but are also emotionally tied to their businesses.

And why shouldn’t they be?

They’ve poured their blood, sweat, and tears into building something meaningful.

Meanwhile, I’m equally emotional about the craft of design and its power to transform brands. But here’s the catch: I’m not emotionally attached to what they’re attached to, and vice versa.

It’s easy to forget when a client says, “I don’t like this color,” or, “This font doesn’t feel right,” they’re not rejecting me or my expertise.

They’re expressing their connection to their business. My job isn’t to bulldoze their perspective.

It’s to EDUCATE, COLLABORATE, and GUIDE them toward something that aligns with their goals and resonates with their audience.

The Big Lesson

This year, I vow to educate my clients along the way. Not in a condescending “Let me teach you the rules” kind of way, but by showing how design decisions can enhance their brand’s message while honoring what matters most to them.

It’s about making the process a partnership, not a battle. Uniting, not dividing.

It’s about working together to create something we both love and, more importantly, something I know will connect with their customers.

What This Means for Marketing Professionals

This lesson isn’t unique to design, and marketers face similar challenges every day.

How often do we find ourselves trying to balance client preferences with what we know is strategically sound?

How often do we wish we could just say, “Trust me, I know what I’m doing”— but instead have to find a way to meet them where they are?

The answer isn’t to push harder or dig in deeper.

It’s to LISTEN more. To EDUCATE.

To remember that our clients’ emotional ties to their brands aren’t obstacles; they’re OPPORTUNITIES.

When we embrace collaborating and show clients how our expertise serves their vision, we create work that feels authentic, impactful, and lasting.

Looking Ahead to 2025

As I enter 2025, I’m bringing this lesson with me.

I’m leaning into the art of listening, the power of education, and the beauty of collaboration.

My goal isn’t just to create designs that look good, it’s to craft brands that feel as good as they look. Brands that honor both the laws of design and the emotional connections my clients have to their work.

Here’s to a new year of listening more, educating along the way, and creating better brands together. At the end of the day, it’s not about who’s right.

It’s about doing what’s right for our clients and their audiences.