Due to the environmental impact of lead, there is a considerable focus on the synthesis of lead-free piezoelectric materials. Pb(Zr,Ti)O₃ (PZT) is the current industry standard for piezoelectric ceramics, but has a major disadvantage in that it contains lead, which is increasingly regulated. Our understanding of the high piezoelectric response in PZT is a direct result of the incredibly detailed structural studies that have been performed. Unfortunately, the same level of detail has not been applied to the lead-free counterparts of PZT. While some structural studies have examined both the average structure and local distortions of important lead-free piezoelectrics, there is currently not enough information to form a hypothesis about why PZT outperforms the lead-free alternatives. This talk uses a few examples to highlight the importance of obtaining a comprehensive structural description of lead-free piezoelectric materials in order to understand their properties and make new materials via rational design.