Not because the designs are bad, but because the process is a black box.
You’re grinding away on flows and screens, and then—bam—here’s the final product. But to your team? It feels like you skipped the middle.
They’re left guessing why certain choices were made, and suddenly, you’re fighting for approval instead of refining ideas.
This isn’t just a minor misstep—it’s a pattern that undermines the very foundation of collaborative work.
Ned Stark’s meme: One does not simply come up with a final product.
When stakeholders and team members are left in the dark, they start questioning everything: Why this layout? Why these colors? Did we even test this with users? And suddenly, your expertise is on trial.
Designers fall into this trap for a simple reason: it feels safer to perfect things in isolation.
You get to polish, tweak, and avoid the discomfort of early feedback. But that comfort comes at a cost.
By the time you share, the team hasn’t been on your journey. They don’t see the research, the iterations, or the tough decisions you’ve made.
And when people don’t see the process, they don’t trust the outcome.
This creates a vicious cycle. You present, they push back. You revise, but now you’re second-guessing your decisions.
Meanwhile, deadlines loom, and what could’ve been a collaborative effort becomes a slog through revisions and misaligned expectations.
The solution: working in the open
Working in the open flips this dynamic.
It’s not just about sharing more; it’s about how and when you share. When you involve your team early and often, you create a shared understanding.
Feedback becomes a tool, not a hurdle. Decisions are made together, and trust builds naturally.
The benefits?
Faster alignment: Teams that see your process understand your decisions. This reduces friction and accelerates buy-in.
Better feedback: Early input helps you catch issues before they become big problems, saving time and effort.
Increased credibility: When people see the depth of your work, they trust your expertise.
Smoother processes: Transparency eliminates the guesswork and makes collaboration seamless.
Working in the open isn’t easy—it’s vulnerable. But it’s also one of the fastest ways to turn your team into allies and your projects into successes.
5 habits to build transparency and earn trust
1. Share the mess
Polished designs are nice, but they don’t tell the whole story. Start sharing drafts, sketches, and ideas in progress.
When people see how things evolve, they’ll stop questioning your decisions and start contributing to them.
Transparency makes collaboration smoother—and your work better.
2. Explain your thinking
Nobody needs a design dissertation, but a quick note on why you made a choice goes a long way.
Tie it back to user feedback, data, or the problem you’re solving.
Make it easy for others to see your logic, so you spend less time defending and more time iterating.
3. Build a roadmap
This isn’t just a list of what’s next—it’s a dynamic tool to align your team.
Show what you’re working on, what’s coming up, and what’s on hold.
Suddenly, everyone knows where things stand, and those “What’s the status?” pings disappear.
The more you normalize this, the less awkward it gets—and the more your team feels involved in shaping the work.
5. Co-create, don't just present
Turn team meetings into working sessions. Bring problems, not solutions.
Sketch together, brainstorm, and let the group help shape the design.
It’s faster, more collaborative, and eliminates the “I don’t get it” reactions down the line.
Final thoughts
Working in the open is uncomfortable, especially when you’re used to keeping things close.
But the payoff is huge.
Transparency speeds up alignment, reduces friction, and builds trust. More importantly, it positions you as a designer who knows how to bring people along for the ride.
The best designers aren’t just good at crafting experiences; they’re masters at creating clarity.
So, stop hiding behind the final product. Open up your process, and watch how quickly your work starts to speak for itself.
Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 types of designers I help: