A client who is unhappy for a specific reason can usually tell you what needs to be fixed. But a client who is unhappy without being able to put their finger on exactly why can be even more challenging.

Often, this happens because there wasn’t enough collaboration, communication, or regular checkpoints throughout the process. Perhaps the process wasn’t clearly agreed upon or defined in enough detail from the beginning. In many cases, it can be a sign that the content strategy went off track right from the start.

But if that’s the case, how about looking at it from the other side?

How can you truly evaluate content without considering the design?

Without typography, colors, layout, spacing, and visual styles, you’re missing many of the important signals that go beyond the words themselves. Design helps communicate hierarchy, importance, emphasis, priorities, and even subtle emotional cues that influence how a reader understands and connects with the content.

Great content and great design work together. One gives meaning to the message, while the other helps deliver that message in a way that is clear, engaging, and meaningful to the reader.