As a brand and website designer, I’ve been through my share of feedback and editing stages to perfect designs. And no matter your designer and how many years of experience he/she has under their belt, they can’t create perfect designs for your business without your feedback. 

Even through questionnaires, calls, emails, etc., no one knows your business like you. On the other hand, your designer has been hired because you admire their craft and trust their expertise. 

Any design project requires a working partnership –– where you give your honest feedback and your designer shares his/her expert option. 

In this post, I’m share tips on how you can give effective feedback to your designer so they can build better designs that serve your business and target audience well.

Start with an open mind. 

Giving feedback is sometimes the hardest part of the process. It can get complicated, messy, and confusing. But trust your designer and try not to micromanage. Afterall, whether you loved their style, valued their expertise, etc., remember that you did hire them for a reason and trust that reasoning throughout the design process. 

In saying that, as a seasoned designer, they have taken the information through questionnaires, chats, etc. and crafted designs that represent your business and attract your target audience. Don’t go in with pre-planned ideas, leave the work to your designer, and stay open-minded as designs are presented to you.

Remember your target audience.

Your designs should serve your business well by attracting your target audience. Keep them in the front of your mind as you give feedback. 

Do the colors vibe with the tone of your business and capture their eyes? Does the design reflect your business and can be identified by these people as your brand? Does your website attract your target audience and directly speak to them?

You should like your designs but they must also stand out and be attractive to your target audience.

Ask questions.

If you have a question, just ask! Your designer has been hired to serve you, and I’m sure they would love the opportunity to further explain the reasoning behind a design element, offer more expertise, etc. 

Getting further clarification is so wise in the long-term and will ultimately grow this partnership and create better designs. 

Take your time.

If your timeline allows it, sit on your designs overnight and take your time to gather all of your thoughts. You don’t have to rush your response. It’s better to think through your opinion and give a well-rounded response rather than quickly sending a jumbled mess of thoughts. This will only lead to confusion and won’t be effective.

Don’t be shy.

I know it can be scary giving your feedback to a designer. But again, your designer has been hired to serve you. And truthfully, they actually really do want your feedback so they can better your designs! Don’t hold back your thoughts – this is the time to step out of your comfort zone and give feedback that benefits your business long-term.

Tell the truth nicely.

You should boldly share your thoughts about the design, but remember that you can share your comments without being mean.

Even if your designer completely missed the mark, you can still give constructive feedback. You’re designer is still human, and being rude will only hurt your working relationship in the long-run and will likely hold back your designer from being further creative.

Example:
Poor Feedback – This design completely missed the mark.
Effective Feedback – Thanks for putting so much time and energy into this design! I like [x], but I’m concerned about [y and z] because they [kindly explain reasoning].

Be specific.

Absolutely, positively be as specific as you can about your feedback. This isn’t the time to be concise; the more information, the better. 

Send screenshots, be detailed, or do whatever to make sure your designer knows exactly how you feel and enough information to know how to fix it. 

Example:
Poor Feedback – I don’t like the logo.
Effective Feedback – I’m concerned that the colors used are too close to my competitor (see attached screenshot). Could we change up the pink to a lighter tone and the grey to a creamy beige? I think this slight alteration will give it further variation, while still feeling like me and attracting my dream clients.

Keep it clean.

When it comes to sending your feedback, make sure it’s easy to read or digest. 

The best way to send your feedback is to follow a bullet point or numbering system. Keep your thoughts separated. And if it’s appropriate or helpful, separate similar topics or sections with headers. 

Lastly, take your time to gather all of your thoughts and sending these thoughts in a single response.

The feedback step is one of the most important parts in the design process. Be patient, have fun with it, and trust that with great feedback, comes better design!