We know providing feedback can seem scary and intimidating, and in our experience as designers, it can make or break a project. I have included three tips to assist you in providing feedback in the most efficient way. Before you say or send anything to the designer, always keep in mind to be clear and concise.
1: Keep the goal of the project at the front of your mind.
You can use the project goal to explain why you’re asking for changes as you give feedback. For example: “We need our website traffic to click the sign-up button, so can we do something to make it stand out more?” We designers love hearing about how we can design or add anything to help you achieve your business goals!
2: Set personal preferences aside.
Do your best to avoid using the word “like.” If you find yourself thinking or saying something like, “I don’t like the typeface you used in the logo,” be aware that you might be going a bit too narrow on your view of the design. Take a step back and remember the goal of this design (from the first point). “Our brand is very light-hearted, and I think this typeface is too heavy and formal. Can we try something else?” is a million times more valuable as feedback for a designer than simply, “I don’t like it.” Designers, most of the time get the, “I don’t like it.” from clients and don’t explain why or what part of it the client doesn’t like. We spend valuable time to guess what part of the design they don’t like and go in to fix it. Communication is key!
3: Back up subjective words with concrete examples.
When describing how you want something visual to look and feel, it’s natural to use emotive, somewhat subjective words and phrases. Things like “bold,” “modern,” and, our least favorite of them all, “make it pop,” can all mean different things to different people, which makes it hard for designers to interpret precisely what a client is looking for.
Instead of relying solely on these sorts of words and leaving it up to your designer to figure out what you want (and leaving the door open for misunderstandings and wasted time), try to provide solid examples or more in-depth explanations of what you have in mind. Sharing pictures can be a great way to communicate a style you’re looking for quickly!
And there you have it! These three simple yet effective tips to give feedback will make our design process go smoothly! Your designer will feel appreciated because we’ve all been there, and getting vague feedback makes the process difficult. With these tips and a quick turnaround, the design process will be done sooner than expected, which will make you and the designer happy! Trust me, it has happened in the past with my clients, and it’s a great feeling to be on the same page.
If you have any questions about giving feedback, let me know in an email or an Instagram DM! If you are interested in working with me, check out my portfolio to see if I can design a brand for your business!
