This article describes Communication by Design, a year-long project developed to foster an important dialogue between emerging student costume designers and student choreographers. Two university professors, one teaching costume design and one teaching dance, collaborated to help their students gain an understanding of how these two disciplines can form a partnership that has mutual benefits, placing the emphasis on the process instead of the finished product. This project helped the authors gain an understanding of the information and mentoring that students need for effective collaboration. The authors met and discussed the logistics of this joint project and identified three student learning outcomes: recognizing the unique approach to the creative process in each discipline, gaining skills specific to the costume design and construction process, and the importance of clear communication. Student designers and choreographers were then paired based on the complexity of the piece and the experience of both the student choreographer and student designer. This communication reinforced choreographic intention and aided in the clarity of costume design choices. This project highlighted the skills that the students already possessed and the gaps that needed to be addressed for more effective collaboration. In addition to providing students with a greater understanding of the creative process, this project positively altered the teaching practices of both authors. Student designers were given expanded opportunities to design for departmental productions, and choreographers were able to experience the process of artistic collaboration to strengthen their visual message to the audience. The process-oriented focus of the project created an environment that fostered true exploration and experimentation in the learning process that was crucial to the success of students developing their artistic voices.