Love the headline, but a bit more needs to be explained. As a designer, I get tons of requests to work with startups only to later find out that they want an a

Love the headline, but a bit more needs to be explained. As a designer, I get tons of requests to work with startups only to later find out that they want an aesthetic layer slapped on top. Is this possible? Certainly. But it doesn't address major problems with your experience, content structure, or the most important thing: the message you're trying to convey. The thing missing in this article is that, for a good designer, it's quite the thinking man's game. For example, I'm working on a design now where the original menu system wasn't 100% clear and by trying a couple of different approaches, we came to something great. This is key: hire someone who thinks about the problems, not the aesthetics. A solid designer will address the problems and then devise an aesthetic strategy. Most importantly: show respect for designers. The good ones can help you immensely.