let’s be real: website projects are like group projects in school, except now if you mess up, someone might publicly tweet about the result. everyone—including you, your developer, and your designer—wants to build something awesome, but sometimes it feels like you’re speaking completely different languages. a designer says “make it pop.” a developer says “that’s out of scope.” you say “please, just finish it?”

don’t worry. clear, kind, and smart communication can turn any project from a mess into a win. here’s how:

start with the big picture (aka, don’t jump straight to “move that logo 2px”)

your team can’t create magic if they don’t know what kind of magic trick you’re after.

• share the why behind the website: who’s it for? what problem are you solving?

• talk about must-haves and absolute “nope”s early on.

• the more context, the fewer “wait, what are we even doing?” moments down the line.

write it down—really

sure, you said it on the call, but did anyone actually remember?

• keep key project decisions, requests, and questions in ONE spot, not spread over 40 emails.

• use a shared doc, or even better: collect direct comments on the live site with toolbar.

• designers and devs love seeing requests tied to what they’re actually building, not lost somewhere in a spreadsheet.

give feedback in context, not code (or riddles)

if you say “the page looks weird,” expect five slack threads and a developer crying in the corner.

• be specific: “when I click login, nothing happens” gets results waaay faster than “login broken.”

• screenshots are gold—so is using toolbar to attach your comment directly to the thing you want fixed.

• say what you expected to happen, not just what broke.

ditch the jargon and just say it simply

fancy design or tech language doesn’t make things go faster.

• skip words like “above the fold” or “backend refactor” unless everyone truly knows what that means.

• if you don’t get what someone else said—ask! (no shame, promise.)

respect everyone’s craft (and their time zones)

• devs might say “no” to an idea today and “yes” tomorrow—often it’s a question of time, not skill.

• designers get picky for a reason: details matter. let them explain their “why.”

• if someone’s three hours behind, give them a chance to wake up before you ask for that new button color.

use smart tools to keep everyone in sync

old way: feedback by email, text, post-it, and a carrier pigeon. toolbar way:

• leave notes, screenshots, and questions right on your website (no login or tech skills required).

• everything gathers in one neat dashboard, so nothing gets lost—even when ten people are involved.

• developers and designers get the exact info they need, without translation headaches.

check in and celebrate progress

don’t just talk when things are broken:

• give quick shoutouts when big milestones hit or bugs finally disappear.

• even a “looks great, thanks!” is pure gold for morale.

bottom line: simple is best

most website projects go wrong because nobody is sure of what they’re building, or what they’re supposed to fix. so keep it clear, honest, and human. use the right tools (uh, toolbar, obviously) to gather feedback and questions right where they actually happen.

your project will go faster, look better, and—dare we say—even be fun.

ps: if you ever catch yourself typing “as discussed on page 7 of our slack thread…”, it’s officially time for a better way. try toolbar—you might actually enjoy launching that site.