The most useful thing you can give a designer isn't a list of features or a folder of references. It's clarity about where you're trying to get to and why. Everything else is detail that can be worked out together.
Lead with the goal
Start with what success looks like. More enquiries? Higher-value clients? A brand that finally feels grown-up? When the goal is clear, every design decision has something to be measured against.
Share context, not just taste
"I like this site" is helpful, but "I like how this site makes the product feel premium" is gold. Tell me what a reference makes you feel and why, and I can carry the intent without copying the look.
- Who is this for, and what do they care about?
- What's worked and what hasn't in the past?
- What absolutely must be there, and what's flexible?
Give feedback that moves forward
The best feedback is specific and tied back to the goal. Rather than "make it pop", try "this doesn't feel as trustworthy as we need". It gives me something real to design against, and gets you to the right result faster.