The Importance of Communication — In Life, Work, and Design

Mission to Message

This image symbolizes the powerful journey from military precision to professional collaboration. On one side, the intensity of tactical operations; on the other, the nuance of strategic dialogue. It represents how communication must adapt—shaped by experience, refined through understanding, and essential across every environment.

Communication is everything.

In life, at work, and especially in high-stakes environments, the way we communicate can mean the difference between success and failure, connection and conflict, clarity and confusion.

I come from a military background, specifically the Marine Corps, where communication was direct, loud, and often laced with some pretty harsh language. That wasn’t just accepted—it was expected. In the high-pressure, high-risk situations we operated in, there wasn’t time for fluff or over-explaining. You said what needed to be said—blunt, fast, and to the point. And if you were in charge, sometimes that meant motivating people with words that would absolutely not fly in the civilian world.

After transitioning out of the military and before diving into higher education, I sought professional help to unpack some of the communication habits I’d developed. That process helped me understand not only what I was saying, but how it was being perceived—especially in civilian spaces. I learned to shift my tone, change my language, and become more intentional with my words. I still let some harsh language slip out here and there—but never at people. And that change in approach has made all the difference.

Understanding how your communication style lands on others is critical—whether you’re talking to family, friends, coworkers, or clients. It’s not about being fake. It’s about being effective.

And that’s especially true in the world of design.

Design work is inherently collaborative. Whether you’re creating visual branding, building a website, or drafting a marketing campaign, your ability to communicate clearly is just as important as your creative skills. You have to listen to what clients are asking for, interpret their ideas (even when they don’t know the design terms), and translate vague thoughts into visual solutions.

That takes empathy, patience, and clarity.

It also means knowing when to speak up—when to advocate for a design decision that may not be obvious to someone outside the creative space. It’s easy for things to get lost in translation between designer and client, or between team members with different priorities. Strong communication bridges that gap. It turns chaos into clarity. It ensures the end result doesn’t just look good—it works.

At the end of the day, communication is a tool. And like any tool, it’s only effective if you know how to use it in the right context.

Military life taught me the value of being direct. Civilian life taught me the value of being considerate. Design work taught me the value of being collaborative.

The more we understand and refine how we communicate, the more impact we can have—on our teams, our work, and the people we serve.