A beautiful smile is magic...creating one is not. In spite of all the new technology and materials available today, managing and restoring large cases is still dependent on a step-by-step system for predictable results. All too often, dentists and ceramists don't fully understand what is required of each other and time and patient confidence is lost at the time of seating. There's nothing worse for a ceramist than working on a case without knowing if it's really going to work in the mouth. Gilbert Young, CDT, provides an overview of the elements of design and predictability that both dentists and ceramists control and discusses the importance of the intraoral mock as a communication tool; how to finetune the design and function of anterior restorations; and ways to manage color and brightness with the "esthetic framework technique."