A few words about words

On the subject of words, have you noticed how little sense there is in the rationale given by most design groups for their work? Having sat through many a presentation where verbiage overshadows the quality of the work, I wonder what clients make of these bids to “reposition the brand”, “challenge the consumer” and “appeal to a younger market”.

Such jargon may appeal to brand managers, but how many designers really understand what they are saying? And how does the end user cope without benefit of a full-blown explanation? All they have to go by are the instructions on the pack, and the rest of us would welcome a bit more plain speaking.