What Clients Actually Mean When They Say 'Make It Pop'
Priya Nair
Head of Design
"Make it pop" gets a bad rap among designers. But behind that throwaway phrase is almost always a real, specific reaction. Our job isn't to roll our eyes — it's to translate.
It usually means hierarchy
Nine times out of ten, "make it pop" means the design lacks contrast and the eye doesn't know where to go. The fix isn't a brighter color — it's a clearer hierarchy. Bigger jumps in type scale, more deliberate use of whitespace, one obvious focal point per screen.
Ask the question behind the question
When feedback is vague, don't guess. Ask what they expected to feel, or which competitor they had in mind. "What were you hoping someone would do on this screen?" turns an aesthetic comment into an actionable brief.
Lead with options, not defensiveness
Show two or three concrete directions rather than arguing for the one you already made. Clients rarely have the vocabulary to direct design — but they're excellent at reacting to it. Give them something to react to and the feedback gets sharp fast.
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