“Make it pop.”
“Jazz it up.”
As a designer, I often hear those words and cringe.
And it’s not because I consider my design work precious and am unwilling to change, but because as a designer, my goal is to solve problems through design, and feedback like that makes it difficult to understand what the problem is.
But we all struggle with giving design feedback—whether or not you’re a designer—and we understand that if you’re not a designer, it can often be tough to identify the issue and vocalize your thoughts when reviewing designs. This tends to lead to feedback that is too vague, too specific, or too subjective, all of which makes it tough for us to reach the right solution for you.
We want your feedback, we really do! Iteration is vital to a successful design process, so, in your next design review, consider these tips for fostering a more fruitful exchange:
1. Set the stage and agree to goals
Whether you’re a designer or the client, be sure that everyone walks into the meeting with shared expectations for the project and this specific review. Everyone should be aligned on the scope, goals, and terminology, because differing expectations cause conflicts and inefficiencies, and could lead to the wrong kind of feedback.
There should also be an understanding of which elements are being evaluated during a design review. If there is a specific part of the design that needs feedback, call that out. For example, if the photography is set in stone, make sure people are aware so that they focus on the other elements.
Every design decision is deliberate, so the designer should be happy to walk you through the logic behind it. Make sure to ask lots of questions — it’s a good opportunity to correct misunderstandings.
2. Focus on problems, not solutions
This is where we often get into trouble: providing prescriptive feedback—like “make the logo bigger”—without describing the problem we’re trying to solve. If the designer understands the problem, they can often develop a better solution or possibly uncover a bigger issue in the overall design system.
Avoid: “Make the logo bigger.”
Try: “This is a new brand that people are unfamiliar with and one of our goals is brand recognition. Right now the logo gets lost on this graphic given everything else that’s going on.”
In the second scenario, your designer has more insight into the issue at hand—lack of instant brand recognition and too much clutter—and can work towards coming up with an effective solution, like adding more white space around the logo, reducing the amount of copy, using a lighter headline weight, toning down the colors, etc.
3. Be specific and objective
We know design often feels subjective and it can be difficult to push personal taste aside, but try to move beyond vague, subjective language and use specific, objective words that are less open to interpretation. An additional note on objectivity: much of design is based on research, and your designer should have a bevvy of best practice feedback and test data that helps guide decision-making.
Avoid: “This is a bad photo. I don’t like the two men.”
Try: “I don’t believe this photo represents our organization. We work with a younger, more diverse community than this photo portrays.”
In the first instance, your designer is left thinking: “Why is it ‘bad’? Because it’s low res? You want a bigger group?” Understanding that diversity is key to your mission will help your designer come up with a better solution.
Avoid: “Can you make the the UGC section pop more?”
Try: “This translation of the wireframe doesn’t give the most important part of the page—the UGC section—the right level of hierarchy.”
Saying “make this pop” doesn’t get to the root of the issue around information hierarchy, which is more helpful to highlight.
But what if you simply don’t like something and can’t explain what the problem is? Try sharing examples of designs you feel are successful for the designer to analyze, or consider testing two approaches (depending on the scope and issue) to determine which one your audience interacts with more.
4. Discuss next steps
Remember, the designer is your friend. The more background and context the designer gets, the more likely they will able to create a thoughtful, successful design that will win approval. Work on coming to a consensus before the end of a critique about the general direction the designer should take when revising work. Give leeway for your designer to come up with creative solutions to the feedback at hand, but make sure you are aligned on next steps so there are no big surprises in the end.
Being comfortable with design language for non-designers can sometimes feel a little daunting, but it’s well within your reach. Focus on identifying the problems and be collaborative with solutions, and you’re guaranteed to be more satisfied with the outcome. Happy critiquing!