How to Properly Communicate Reference Sites — Articulating What You Like

This section demonstrates specific trouble cases that vague reference site communication brings to projects.

"Please make it feel like this site." This is the most frequently heard phrase from clients in web development. However, many projects that start with this single statement end up heading in unexpected directions.

Let's look at a case from a small-to-medium enterprise. The company's marketing manager presented a competitor's corporate site as a reference and requested a designer to create "something with this kind of atmosphere." Three weeks later, when the initial design proposal was presented, the manager was puzzled. Certainly, elements from the reference site were included, but "something was different." The color scheme and layout somewhat resembled the reference site, yet it differed significantly from the expected image.

Despite giving revision instructions, only abstract expressions like "make it more luxurious" or "more stylish" emerged. As a result, revisions exceeded three rounds, the originally planned delivery date was delayed by a month, and additional costs were incurred. The designer was also confused, thinking "I thought I had aligned it with the reference site."

Such situations are far from rare. The way reference sites are communicated alone can significantly affect the overall project quality and costs. The fact that many clients search for "reference site communication methods" demonstrates the severity of this problem.

The problem runs deeper. Perception gaps created by vague instructions don't just increase the number of revisions. They can affect the trust relationship with designers and hinder future collaboration. Additionally, internal approval processes become confused, and when decision-makers ask "why did this design come about?", clear answers become impossible to provide.

This section analyzes the structural causes of communication problems surrounding reference sites.

The fundamental reason for failures in reference site communication lies in the "difference in viewing perspectives" between clients and designers. When clients look at reference sites, they intuitively judge them as "good or bad" or "like or dislike." Designers, due to their profession, try to understand reference sites by breaking them down into component elements. This difference in perspective creates the initial perception gap.

Specifically, the reasons why clients feel "this site is good" are diverse. Color schemes, fonts, layouts, photo atmospheres, content presentation methods, navigation usability, and more—multiple elements combine to form the impression of "good." However, when these elements aren't articulated and only "like this site" is communicated, designers must proceed with guesswork.

Furthermore, clients often don't clearly understand "what they like." Due to lack of specialized design knowledge, it's difficult to logically explain intuitive preferences. Without knowing proper "design reference instruction" methods, they rely on emotional expressions.

Industry structure also complicates the problem. While many designers strive to understand client intentions, they can only make educated guesses from limited information. Even when they ask questions, clients often can't provide specific answers. As a result, designers proceed based on their own judgment, creating deliverables that differ from client expectations.

Time constraints also play a role. Instead of conducting sufficient interviews in the early project stages, many start work by simply showing reference sites. This "hasty start" becomes a factor that amplifies later perception gaps.

Internal client structures are also problematic. The preferences of staff members who actually interact with designers often differ from those of executives who hold final decision-making authority. Cases where reference sites that staff members liked don't resonate with decision-makers are not uncommon. This lack of internal consensus leads to major direction changes in later project phases.

This section presents specific procedures for clients to effectively communicate reference sites.

Effective reference site communication can be achieved through the following five steps.

Step 1: Analysis and Element Breakdown of Reference Sites

Before showing reference sites, clarify what you liked about those sites. Break this down into specific elements such as color schemes, layouts, fonts, photo atmospheres, and content structure.

For example, when referencing an e-commerce site, identify elements like "attractive product photo presentation," "simple and clear navigation," or "overall clean white-based color scheme that gives a sense of cleanliness."

Step 2: Priority Setting

Among the broken-down elements, prioritize the points you particularly want to emphasize. If all elements are communicated with equal importance, designers also find it difficult to focus.

Set clear priorities like "product photo presentation is most important, navigation usability is next, color scheme is for reference only." These priorities need to be considered in relation to budget and production timeline constraints.

Step 3: Specific Articulation

Explain using concrete words rather than intuitive expressions. Avoid subjective expressions like "stylish" or "cool," and use objectively understandable expressions like "minimal layout using lots of white space" or "calm color tones with subdued saturation."

For colors, research and specify color codes concretely. For fonts, don't just use broad categories like "Gothic" or "Serif," but identify font names when possible.

Step 4: Presenting Multiple Reference Sites

Show 3-4 different sites rather than a single reference site, and clarify which elements you want to incorporate from each. This allows designers to more accurately grasp client preference trends.

Methods like "Site A's product photo placement, Site B's navigation, Site C's color scheme" are effective for showing references by element.

Step 5: Clearly Indicating NG Patterns

Along with preferred reference sites, communicate design patterns you want to avoid. By clarifying constraints like "please don't use this color" or "avoid this type of layout," you can appropriately narrow the designer's work scope.

Following these steps realizes high-quality communication as "designer request references." The key is providing an environment where designers can work based on clear guidelines rather than guesswork.

This section specifically shows incorrect reference site communication methods commonly seen in actual practice and their solutions.

Pitfall 1: "Make It Exactly Like This" - Complete Copy Instructions

The most dangerous approach is instructing exact imitation of reference sites. Designs have copyrights, and complete copying can cause legal issues. Additionally, reference site designs aren't necessarily suitable for the client's business content or objectives.

As a solution, position reference sites as "directional indicators" and communicate with the premise of customizing them to fit company business characteristics. Appropriate communication would be "using elements from this site as reference, please add our company's unique character."

Pitfall 2: Presenting Multiple Conflicting Reference Sites

Cases occur where completely different style reference sites are presented simultaneously. For example, showing both a minimal design site and a decorative, flashy site as "both are good." This prevents designers from determining direction.

As a solution, check consistency between reference sites beforehand and choose sites with unified style. When referencing sites with different styles, clearly separate and communicate specific elements you want to incorporate from each.

Pitfall 3: Ignoring Industry and Purpose Differences in Reference Site Selection

Cases occur where sites from completely different industries are shown as references. B2B companies referencing fashion e-commerce sites, medical institutions referencing gaming company sites—reference selections that ignore target demographics and industry characteristics cause confusion.

As a solution, first search for references from the same or similar industries. When referencing sites from other industries, explain specific reasons for choosing those sites and clarify which elements you want to incorporate.

Pitfall 4: Reference Site Selection Without Considering Technical Constraints

Cases occur where high-budget large corporation sites or experimental sites using special technologies are shown as references. Choosing overly idealistic reference sites without considering client budget or technical constraints creates feasibility problems.

As a solution, share budget and production timelines with designers beforehand and choose reference sites achievable within those parameters. For reference sites with advanced features or special effects, clarify priorities and prepare to make selections based on budget.

Pitfall 5: Continuous Direction Changes and Adding New Reference Sites

Cases occur where new reference sites are continuously added during project progression. Continuous changes like "actually, this site is also good" or "I'd like to incorporate this feeling too" confuse project direction and lead to increased costs and timelines.

As a solution, finalize reference sites before project start, and when changes are necessary, implement them only after confirming additional costs and timeline impacts along with clear reasons. Limit changes to those based on rational business reasons rather than emotional preference shifts.

This section presents a systematic approach to reference site utilization that achieves continuous project success.

Effective reference site utilization not only succeeds in individual projects but also improves organizational design communication capabilities. Achieve continuous improvement through the following initiatives.

Building Internal Reference Site Collection Systems

Create habits of daily collection and analysis of excellent sites. Evaluate reference sites from multiple perspectives—not just marketing staff but also sales, planning, and management—to understand internal design preference trends.

Implement "reference site sharing meetings" about once monthly where each department shares excellent sites they've discovered. During these sessions, don't just introduce sites but discuss "why you thought it was good" and "which elements would be incorporated if applied to our company."

Creating Reference Site Analysis Sheets

Create formats for systematic reference site analysis. Standardize evaluation items like color schemes, layouts, fonts, navigation, content structure, and photo atmospheres to enable objective analysis.

Reference sites analyzed using these sheets should be databased and accumulated. Building a reference site library usable for future production projects eliminates the effort of searching for reference sites from scratch each time.

Building Continuous Relationships with Designers

Rather than changing designers for each individual project, build continuous relationships when possible. Through ongoing collaboration, designers gain deep understanding of client preferences and business characteristics, enabling more precise proposals.

Regularly conduct review meetings with designers to discuss reference site utilization methods from past projects and communication improvement points. Actively incorporate designer feedback to continuously improve reference site communication methods.

Internal Sharing and Standardization of Success Cases

Share internal cases where reference sites were effectively utilized and standardize success patterns. Accumulate specific know-how about which communication methods were effective and what level of detailed instruction was appropriate.

Similarly share failure cases and clarify patterns to avoid. Learning from both success and failure experiences improves overall organizational design communication capabilities.

Pursuing Originality Beyond Reference Sites

Reference sites are starting points, not final goals. Customize elements learned from reference sites to match company business characteristics and objectives, pursuing original designs.

To differentiate from competitors, don't only choose sites from the same industry as references—actively incorporate excellent elements from different industries. However, don't forget to adapt them to your industry and customers.

Through these initiatives, reference site communication evolves from mere technique to important communication capability supporting business growth. Through continuous improvement, enhance collaboration quality with designers and aim for more effective website realization.