Working Together: Giving and Getting Feedback
Chapter 11: Feedback
Feedback
Lesson 1 of 5
Unless your designer is literally perfect all the time (rare), your ability to give feedback will ultimately make or break the success of a project.
Most designers will do everything in their power to deliver a perfect result the first time — and there’s nothing better, as a client, than receiving a Round 1 that just hits. But even the most thoughtful design involves some degree of trial and error. We work hard to understand what our clients are thinking, but the process of putting pen to paper (or mouse to screen) is very illuminating. More often than not, even the best designs will need some editing. This is a normal part of the process, and it’s a very important part to get right.
Feedback sounds like it would be very straightforward, but there are certain types of feedback that are very helpful to crafting a successful second round, and others that leave the designer with more questions than answers. Crafting and delivering your feedback effectively will give your designer something actionable they can work with, and make sure the next round moves toward your vision. Ineffective feedback, on the flipside, can lead to confusion, misinterpretation, a second round that is no closer to the end result than the first, or one that actively undermines your brand goals. Moreover, a solid understanding of effective feedback will help you pin down what exactly you want, and better acquaint yourself with how the deliverables you receive do or do not help your goals.
A thorough understanding of feedback is essential to ensuring…
Your designer knows exactly what does and doesn’t work.
An actionable plan to fix the next round.
A clear understanding of exactly what is needed.
Effective communication and collaboration with your team.
A final result that supports your brand and goals.
Ineffective feedback can mean…
Confusion.
A completely random (or worse) next round.
Misinterpretation of how you feel about a design.
Settling for bad design.
Design that undermines brand standards and goals.
Instructions that get lost in the shuffle.
Design that falls short of your team’s potential.
A final result that you like but doesn’t support your brand.