Today’s question is like ice cream. Everyone claims to have their favorite flavor but the universe knows there’s only one top dog: saffron rose-water pistachio ice cream.

(If you’re in Nashville, go to House of Kebab and save room for dessert.) 

Now lace up and take my hand as we learn whether design follows copy or copy follows design. The answer matters because it impacts your workflow (efficiency!) and content quality (no more DIY vibes). 

The answer is nuanced but it follows one universal truth: Copy and design must work together.

Ergo, copy and design must follow the goal of your asset. (If you don’t know what the goal of your asset is, figure that out first.)

Technically speaking, copy MUST come first and then design molds itself around the copy. Because ultimately design exists to elevate your copy and tell a visual story. 

That said, copy needs to be a good friend and at least acknowledge design. 

How?

By being delivered in a format that makes design possible. AKA: By being delivered in wireframes and templates. 

Wireframes and templates force you to chunk your copy into design-able pieces. DO NOT give your designer a 15-paragraph dissertation with no visible breaks, sections, or structure and expect them to turn it into a beautiful design.

Design is all about contrast.

• You pull out some pieces to make them bigger. 
• You take other elements and make them smaller.
• You highlight the words that deserve more attention.

Side note: As a designer, I have worked with my fair share of clueless-but-lovely-as-a-person copywriters. The most challenging projects were the ones where the copy was delivered in “dissertation format.” Please no.  

(Recommended Reading: 5 Tips to Communicate Your Vision to a Designer)

To get the best designs, I recommend adding a special storyboarding step in your process to account for the copy vs. design conundrum.

Here’s an example of what that looks like:

1. Open up your document with all the copy
2. Chunk it into big sections with headings and sub-headings
3. Pull out the main headlines and make them bigger and bolder
4. Identify paragraphs that can be broken down into bullet points
5. Edit the copy to make it punchier and more scannable
6. Identify ideas or concepts that could be better expressed as visuals

Once you put your copy through the storyboarding (or wireframing) process, you end up with something I like to call “design-able copy.” Then and only then can you kick off the actual design process.

Now here’s the thing: I happen to be a conversion-led designer who is versed in copywriting and visual storytelling. This is not the case for 90% of designers out there. 

So if you are new to writing copy or working with designers and want to nail your next design project, follow the wireframing steps I shared above to deliver “design-able copy” to your designer. 

The goal: let your designer do their best work so you can build a brand that helps you reach your goals!