Communicating Clearly with Your Stakeholders

When the marketing team calls for a new social graphic, webpage, or brochure, designers too often feel like order-takers, stuck in endless iterations. In this session, we’ll explore how to break free from simply executing requests by uncovering the true underlying needs behind them. Drawing on decades of research into human decision-making and common communication pitfalls, you’ll learn practical techniques for having more strategic, insightful conversations with your stakeholders—ensuring your work not only meets but exceeds organizational goals.

Topics include:

• How to distinguish between a want/request and a true need
• How to conduct a collaborative conversation that will lead to the discovery of underlying needs
• How to identify and mitigate challenges to successful Stakeholder Whispering