Taste isn’t just about design. It’s about judgment, decision-making, and the ability to choose what elevates your company. In business, taste shows up everywhere: the product you build, the experiences you deliver, the people you hire, and the stories you tell.
In product: Knowing when a feature delights vs. when it clutters.
In marketing: Recognizing whether your story is inspiring or just jargon.
In design: Distinguishing between “good enough” and “polished.”
Taste is a kind of quality radar. It’s the filter that separates companies that feel effortless and magnetic from those that feel inconsistent or forgettable.
Taste makes everything better. It’s not about spending more money, it’s about making sharper choices. The little decisions add up: typography, color palettes, messaging flow, UX details. Together, they shape whether your brand feels cohesive and trustworthy or messy and inconsistent.
I saw this firsthand at 8x8, where my team managed brand across 10 geographies and 20+ agencies. Everyone had the same brand guidelines and training, yet the output varied wildly. The differences were subtle, but those subtle differences determined whether the brand looked premium or patchy. To help my team, I used before-and-after examples so they could see how small refinements created stronger, more cohesive assets.
I saw the same principle at play when I led a full website redesign at FluentStream. The improvements there were bigger and more visible, moving from a fragmented, blocky layout to a polished and cohesive design that told the product story with clarity.
FluentStream Website
Before: A modular layout with stacked blocks, limited hierarchy, and animation-style graphics.
After: A more polished design with real product imagery, streamlined color palette, and a strong hero video centerpiece.
Before: Busy graphics, competing colors, and inconsistent emphasis that made the data harder to absorb.
After: Simplified color palette, cleaner illustrations, and clearer hierarchy that guide the reader through the story.
Before: Simplistic, modular design with stacked elements and heavy use of stock photography.
After: Streamlined template with icons and data callouts that tie the sections together and create a more cohesive, professional flow.
Here’s a simple gut check for founders and CEOs:
You can’t immediately tell the difference in “before” and “after” examples above, or you think they’re basically the same.
You approve assets quickly because they “look fine,” instead of asking if they guide the eye, create trust, or elevate the brand.
You default to group consensus instead of a trusted expert with the judgment to guide you.
Customers or investors say your materials feel dated, busy, or off-brand, even after investment.
If these resonate, it doesn’t mean you can’t build a tasteful brand. It just means you should hire someone who can help you get there.
Not every founder has to be Steve Jobs. If taste isn’t your strength, your job is to hire it.
Find a co-pilot. Bring in a brand, product, or marketing leader with a track record of creating work that’s premium, memorable, and authentic.
Trust them. Taste-driven hires can’t be micromanaged. Your role is to set vision and outcomes, not pick fonts.
Anchor on outcomes, not opinions. Ask, “Does this build trust? Does it tell our story clearly?” instead of debating colors or layouts.
Systematize it. Bake good taste into brand guidelines, templates, and training so it scales across the team.
Use before/after training. Like I did with my 8x8 teams, show side-by-side comparisons so everyone sees how subtle choices create stronger, more professional output.
Taste is a force multiplier. When you have it, everything about your business feels sharper, more cohesive, and more trusted. When you don’t, even strong execution can fall flat. Great leaders don’t have to have great taste. They just need to surround themselves with people who do.
Sometimes all you need is an expert pair of eyes to review your website, marketing materials, brand assets, campaigns and collateral. That's why we created GiddyUp Marketing's Advisory program to help you sharpen your presence. Contact us to learn more.