How to Give Meaningful Feedback

Giving design feedback in a way that is constructive and supportive is no easy task. But it’s essential for every designer develop and master this skill

Be empathic and keep in mind that a significant amount of effort has been invested and most likely you are seeing far from the first version. You should be direct enough, but not too harsh, and never make it personal.

Address the central problem

Don’t just explain what you like and don’t like — that’s not what the design is about. Address the problem you’re solving. And before leaving any critical comments, ensure you understand the goals and problems of what’s being presented.

Understand the context

Try to see the big picture of the work. Usually, there are a lot of technical restrictions, target audience requirements, and other constraints that directly affect the solution. Before giving any critical comments, it is especially important to dive into the context and use it as a lens for your feedback.

Ask precise questions

Carefully asked questions are the key to a successful feedback session. Asking a series of clarifying questions leads to a better understanding on both ends. Instead of pointing to something and making statements, like “This button is too big,” ask “Why did you choose this button size?” In this way, you can get more context and reasons behind every design detail and provide more tailored feedback.

Carefully asked questions are the key to a successful feedback session.

Avoid subjectivity

Subjective taste should remain out of the discussion. This means that your personal tastes shouldn’t matter or become a topic of conversation. Never give comments like “I just don’t like it.” It’s very frustrating and demoralizing for the recipient. And what can a designer even do about that? If you can’t recommend a better or different way of doing something, don’t say anything at all.

If you can’t recommend a better or different way of doing something, don’t say anything at all.

Be clear and specific

The more specific the feedback, the better. Everyone gets frustrated with ambiguous feedback. Provide actionable suggestions or at least references where it’s possible. If the designer misunderstands you, it can be even worse than if you didn’t say anything at all. Address details and offer practical next steps wherever you can.

About Design Critiques

A lot of organizations practice special sessions dedicated to collecting project feedback, called Design Critiques.

Unlike brainstorming, where the goal is to propose new ideas, these meetings are focused on collecting feedback around existing solutions. Instead of hoping for informal discussions, they allow teams to systematize the feedback process and spend time productively.

In Design Critique, everyone has a clear role: presenter, audience, or facilitator. It’s very important that everyone keep within their roles in these feedback sessions. The presenter describes the problem being solved or ideas being explored. The facilitator ensures that everyone in the group stays on the agenda and takes notes.

It’s very important that everyone keep within their roles in these feedback sessions.

The audience’s role is to understand the context of the problem and the solution, as well as ask questions. Clearly asked questions are the most important things at critique sessions. For example, raising the question of the original, core problem may help prioritize the presenter’s speech and detailed clarifications encourage fresh design decisions and ideas.

What Comes Next

The next step after collecting feedback is to look through all the notes, ideas, and suggestions. Give yourself some time to think and let your emotions or personal investment simmer down — do not rush to make changes to the project.

Novice designers often perceive each comment of colleagues (especially more experienced ones) as a guide to action, taking and implementing their thoughts without critical review. Design is the eternal search for a balance between aesthetics and function, solving business and user problems. There is no one right decision, and everyone makes mistakes.

Do not dwell on the details and do not become attached to a specific solution.

Learning how to ask for, receive, and give constructive feedback will help you to see the gaps in your work and grow as a professional.