Why Strong Designs Still Get Passed Over: Understanding Briefs and Customer Needs

One of the questions designers ask most often is some version of this: how does work actually get chosen?

Not just how to improve technically, but how decisions are made behind the scenes. What makes one collection move forward while another doesn’t. And whether there’s a real path into this industry when so much of it can feel difficult to read from the outside.

The truth is, a lot of the process can look unclear when you’re standing outside of it. You see finished collections and selected designs, but not the layers of research, planning, and strategy happening before artwork is ever submitted. So we want to walk you through how this process works inside Kindly Woven, from how a brief begins to how designers eventually become part of our Design Team. Because once you can see the thinking behind the decisions, the process starts to feel a lot less personal and a lot more intentional. 

Where a Collection Begins

Before a brief ever reaches designers, there’s usually a significant amount of research and planning already happening behind the scenes. At Kindly Woven, we’re looking at trend direction, customer behavior, product categories, seasonal needs, and gaps in the market. We’re paying attention to what customers are responding to, but also to what feels overdone, missing, or ready for a shift.

That context is what shapes the direction designers eventually receive. A brief is not simply a list of design requests. It’s a translation between the market and the creative work being developed inside the business. The goal is to guide designers toward work that fits not only the aesthetic direction, but also the customer, the product, and the collection as a whole. And that’s the part many designers never get to see. By the time a brief is released, a lot of decisions have already been made about where the collection needs to go. That’s simply the point where designers are invited into that process.

What Happens After a Brief Is Released

Once a brief is released, designers begin interpreting it through their own perspective, style, and experience. This is where the process becomes much more creative and much more layered. Two designers can respond to the exact same assignment in completely different ways depending on what they notice, what they prioritize, and how they understand the customer the collection is being built for. 

This is usually where we see the strongest designers start separating themselves. Not necessarily through style alone, but through how deeply they work through the request and how clearly they understand what the collection actually needs. They’re researching, sketching, testing palettes, adjusting scale, building repeats, and creating multiple options to explore the direction from different angles. They’re not just trying to make something beautiful. They’re trying to create work that responds thoughtfully to the brief while still bringing their own voice into the process. And once those submissions start coming in, the focus shifts from the individual designs to how everything works together as a collection. 

What We Actually Do With Submissions

Once submissions start coming in, everything gets reviewed together. Designs are placed onto boards so we can see the full collection at once rather than evaluating each pattern individually. Looking at the work this way helps us start identifying which pieces stand out, which designs support each other well, and where something may feel repetitive or off direction.

The first question is usually simple: did the work meet the brief?

From there, we’re looking at what naturally draws attention, whether the design fits within the line, how it works alongside the other submissions, and whether it aligns with the customer the collection is meant for. Sometimes that means difficult decisions get made. A design can be beautiful, technically strong, or even personally loved by the team and still not move forward if it pulls the collection away from where it needs to go. The process is not simply about finding good designs, but identifying the right designs for that specific collection. 

Why Understanding the Process Changes Your Work

Once designers understand how collections are actually built, their approach usually starts to shift. They stop thinking only about how to make a single pattern stand out and start thinking more intentionally about how artwork functions within a larger line. Supporting prints, scale variation, color cohesion, and customer positioning all start becoming part of the creative process instead of an afterthought.

It also changes the way designers experience the industry itself. When you don’t understand the system behind the decisions, rejection can feel personal. You assume the work simply wasn’t good enough. But often, the issue is alignment. The design may not have fit the category, the customer, or the direction the collection needed to go. And once you understand that, you stop approaching the process like guesswork and start approaching it with much more clarity and strategy.

Where Training Fits Into This

This is exactly why we created Studio Intensive.

Not to teach design techniques, but to help designers understand the industry context surrounding their work. Because access alone is rarely enough. Designers need clarity around how collections are developed, how the industry really operates, and how customer needs shape creative direction. We want designers to develop a fuller understanding of the industry so they can approach their work more intentionally and effectively.

And once designers complete the process, they’re invited to apply for our Design Team, where they gain access to our design briefs and have the opportunity to contribute directly to the Kindly Woven line through licensing and royalties. Every member of our team has been trained not only in creative execution, but in understanding the industry and the customer we’re designing for. That shared context creates stronger collaboration, clearer direction, and ultimately stronger collections.

Clarity Changes Everything

Once you understand how this industry actually works, the process starts feeling a lot less mysterious. You stop looking at every submission outcome as a reflection of your talent and start seeing the bigger picture behind the decisions. Sometimes a design moves forward because it’s exactly what the collection needs. Sometimes a strong design gets passed over because it doesn’t fit the direction. That’s the reality of collection development.

It also changes the way you create. You stop designing just to get attention and start designing with much more purpose and awareness of the customer, the product, and the collection as a whole. That’s usually the point where designers begin gaining real traction in the industry, because they finally understand what they’re being asked to solve.

We’re currently working on expanding the educational resources and opportunities available through Kindly Woven, including future updates connected to Studio Intensive and our Design Team. Sign up for the newsletter below to be the first to know when new resources, opportunities, and educational content become available.