The Invisible Work of Design -Part II: How to Know Who You’re Really Designing For

In the first part, I talked about how design isn’t just about making beautiful things, it’s about making things that matter. And that spark between a brand and the people it speaks to? It doesn’t come from the moodboard. It comes from knowing who you’re talking to.

Not just in a surface-level, checkbox kind of way. I mean really knowing them.

The kind of knowing that doesn’t show up in a pitch deck. The kind that sits quietly behind your choices, the tone you choose, the colour you lean into, the line you edit out last minute. The kind that whispers: this will land. This will connect.

That level of instinct doesn’t come from a trend report. It comes from watching. Listening. Asking.

I stopped thinking of them as “customers” a long time ago. That word flattens them. Makes them sound like a transaction. But the people we design for, they’re messy. Layered. Emotional. They’ve got history, hangups, aspirations, contradictions. They want to feel like they belong without feeling like they’re trying. They want something that gets them without making them feel exposed.

So I started asking different questions. Not “what’s selling right now,” but “what’s making people feel something?”

Why does this trend hit different? What’s underneath it, nostalgia? Rebellion? A need to slow down? A need to be seen?

I read between the lines. I read the comments people leave when they think no one’s watching. I read reviews of brands that aren’t mine. I watch what doesn’t get said. That’s where the good stuff lives. That’s where you find the edge, not by being louder, but by being more in tune.

But here’s where I want to go deeper with you, because if you really want to study your customer, you’ve got to make it a habit. A muscle. A lens you carry into every part of the creative process.

Start by building characters, not demographics. Sit down and write them out like they’re real people. Give them a name. A wardrobe. A favourite song. What do they Google at midnight? Who do they wish they were? What’s the version of themselves they’re chasing when they dress up? If you can't see them in your mind, you’re not close enough yet.

Then, step into their world. Literally. Go to the shops they go to. Watch them browse. Listen to the way they talk to each other. Follow them online, not to copy, but to understand their rhythm. How they write, how they move, what they save, what they skip. Culture leaves breadcrumbs. Your job is to follow them. I know it sounds creepy, but trust me, it’s worth it.

If you can, talk to them. Ask the awkward questions. What do you wish existed? What do you hate about shopping? What brand makes you feel seen and why? Don’t just listen to the answers. Watch the pauses. Listen to what’s not being said.

Keep a journal. Not for data points, for emotions. That moment someone lights up talking about a piece of clothing. That offhand comment about a fit that made them feel powerful. That’s gold. That’s insight. That’s what shapes brands that matter.

And here’s a tip: write it like you’re building a case study, but for a feeling. Date the entry. Record what happened, where, who said what. Then ask yourself, what’s the emotion behind it? What belief is that comment revealing? The more patterns you notice, the more you’ll spot them in the wild. And when you do, that’s when your work starts getting scary accurate.

When you design something, return to those notes. Test your decisions against them. Ask yourself: would she wear this when she’s feeling brave? Would he buy this when he’s doubting himself? Will this moment in the campaign make them feel seen or exposed?

And once you’ve launched, don’t move on. Keep listening. Study what gets screenshotted, what gets saved, what people post without prompting. It tells you what resonated and what didn’t.

You’ll start to feel it. A pulse. The heartbeat of the people you’re designing for.

And once you hear it, you can start creating from that place.

That’s what makes the difference between a pretty brand and a meaningful one.

Between design that catches the eye and design that lives in someone’s bones.

So if you’re still here, still reading, then maybe you’re one of us. One of the ones who wants to go deeper. To make work that’s not just admired, but felt.

Good. Stick around. I’ve got more to show you.