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I don’t know if you remember this as well as I do, but 10 years ago, Steve Harvey accidentally crowned the wrong Miss Universe on live television. It was mortifying to watch but as a designer, I can now tell you that it wasn’t really his fault.  Let’s rewind... Back in 2015, Steve Harvey was standing on stage in front of millions of people when he opened the envelope and read the name "Miss Colombia" as the pageant winner. She came forward to accept her tiara and flowers but then a few minutes later, Steve came back onto the stage to say that he had read the wrong name on the card and that Miss Philippines was actually the winner. Needless to say, the internet exploded (as it does). Steve became a meme. And while everyone focused on the HUGE mistake he made, designers everywhere were saying the same thing: All of the blame should be placed on whoever made that card. The card Steve was reading from had no clear hierarchy, weird text placement, and the most important information (the actual winner!!!) was buried underneath everything else. Here’s how the card was laid out:  There were no bold fonts, no size differentiation, and no visual cues to guide the eye. Where the winner was listed on the card is exactly where he might have been holding the card, so he could have easily missed what was printed there. Basically, it was a recipe for disaster, especially in a high-pressure, live TV situation. If I had designed that card, I would've used clear visual hierarchy—bold type, varied font sizes, and smart placement. The winner’s name would be hard to miss, reading top to bottom, left to right—no confusion, even under pressure.  Good design is about more than looking pretty People think of design as simply decoration. But good design is actually communication. When done right, it helps people quickly understand what to do, where to go, and what matters most. On your website, in your emails, on a product label, or on a cue card, the way something is laid out can really impact what you notice and remember. You may not be announcing pageant winners, but your business is constantly communicating and design can either help or hurt that goal. Here’s what you want to make sure your design is doing for you: ✔️ Guiding people’s attention to where it matters most ✔️ Reinforcing trust with clarity and professionalism ✔️ Encouraging action with thoughtful flow and layout If your website or visual brand isn’t doing these things, it’s probably not converting the way it could be, which means lots of money potentially being left on the table. tl;dr: Don’t let bad design be the reason you miss out Design is more than pretty colors and a fancy logo. It’s structure, strategy, hierarchy, and intention. When it’s done well, it works for you, even when you’re off the clock! Are you ready to upgrade your brand so you can avoid Steve Harvey moments of your own? Let’s work together on a brand design identity or a rebrand!
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