Receiving and giving constructive feedback is important in all areas of the business to understand where improvements can be made.

And graphic design is no different; you see the work, make comments and learn exactly what your needs are.

It therefore comes as no surprise why most designers ask for feedback early on in a project and constantly throughout as this is the perfect opportunity for clients to check in and make sure everyone is on the same page and that the design is going in the right direction for the best outcome.

In regards to design, let’s say you’re designing a new webpage for example – the process may look something like this: mockup, feedback, revision, feedback, test the site, feedback and so on.

Regardless of how skilled or talented your designer is, collaboration is crucial.

After all, great things happen when people work together effectively and hence why giving and receiving feedback is perhaps the most important part of the design process.

However, feedback can only be effective when it is communicated properly or else ideas can get lost in translation and result in frustration for both you and the designer.

So let’s fix that – here are 4 ways to give great feedback to your designer and make sure the vision is brought to life.

Ask Questions

So as I mentioned earlier, for a design process to be successful, it needs to be collaborative – you want to work together to create something you’re both proud of.

As such, asking thoughtful questions can strengthen the communication between you and your designer and encourage discussions about the design as well as avoiding assumptions.

Therefore, if there’s a design element that you’re unsure of – be it a colour combination or object placement – don’t be afraid to ask questions.

By asking questions such as “is there a reason why you placed X on the left?”, your designer has the opportunity to explain their thought process behind their choices and as a result, the designer will appreciate your interest and you’ll better understand why it’s been done in that way.

Be Specific

When offering your feedback, there’s nothing worse than being vague.

Imagine, if someone came up to you and said “make this pop” – what does that even mean?

From a designer’s point of view, this doesn’t give them any information on how to move forward.

Moreover, design is very subjective, what you may think can make something “pop” could be different to what “pops” for your designer.

To add, comments like “This looks weird. I don’t like it.” “Make it better.” – OK, but why and how?

Offering vague feedback will only confuse the designer and make the process longer than it should be.

Instead, constructive feedback should provide a clear and specific direction so that your designer can fully understand your concerns; for instance “these colours may not work for a younger audience. Perhaps a brighter colour would be more on brand?” is a lot clearer than just saying “make it pop.”

To put simply, tell your designer exactly what you like and don’t like to propose solutions rather than problems.

Give Examples

Following on nicely from the point above, if you find it difficult to communicate your vision through a conversation (you may not know the correct lingo), then provide examples.

By giving your designer examples of what it is you’re after, the designer will have the relevant reference points needed to steer the design in the right direction.

For example, just don’t tell your designer “the graphic is wrong”.

Rather, suggest the graphic is not what you had in mind, show what it is you were going for and ask if something like that would be possible.

Balanced Feedback

When you think of feedback, it’s common to think of the negatives.

After all, it is the improvements and corrections that you want or why give feedback in the first place?

But, positive feedback is just as important too.

One reason being, by telling your designer what they’ve done well, they will know if their design piece is headed in the right direction and that no time or resources are being wasted.

Plus, everyone loves compliments.

So by providing positive feedback, you can ensure you maintain a healthy relationship with your designer which is a win/win for all!

Wrapping Up

Now you know how to give constructive feedback – it’s not too bad right?

With all things said and done, improving how to communicate your thoughts is the common theme in all of these tips above.

So always be mindful when offering your thoughts and opinions to make the design process more efficient and to get the outcome you both want to achieve.

Check our Graphic Design services in the meantime.