I was down in Austin, TX the last few days for the South by Southwest Interactive Festival. One of the many interesting panel discussions I attended was entitled "5 Things Elite Designers Should Stop Saying." Graphic designers are often quick to complain about things clients or co-workers say... "make the logo bigger" often tops the list. This discussion, however, focused on the things designers say that may be taken just as negatively, and rightfully so. Lines that came up among the group included:

• "You should calibrate your monitor."
• "You can't do typography on the web."
• "As a designer..." (insert anything here)
• "It shouldn't take you long to code this."
• "Let me explain to you how this process works."
• "Trust me."

This list went on. So remember, think about how things say before you say them. As designers (see that?) we often think we are right and don't explain why, especially when dealing with non-designers. Back up your opinions, and design expertise, with a solid argument. James from Yahoo! led the discussion and planned on posting the full list of quotes on his blog, which I'll be sure to link to. Thanks James.