How To Provide Better Feedback To Designers
For most of the designers, getting feedback is a sensitive subject. Most of the times, the designers would like to skip this stage of the process. Designers may even think that feedback givers always stand in their way to design pristine and beautiful concepts. But the truth is that giving feedbacks is necessary.
It is up to you to make the feedback process truly horrible one or sensible one for the designer. So, in this post, I would like to share with you some ways to give your designers feedback. These ways won’t hurt your designer’s feelings and at the same time help them understand and accept the changes you are looking for.
Understand The Designer
One thing you need to understand is that designers love graphic designs. The design is not a simple job for them. They put in lots of efforts, thoughts, artistry, and skills to deliver a beautiful one to you. Their eventual goal is to offer the world a legacy. Even if it is a small design, still it involves lots of hard work and efforts.
We are visualizing the design and are obsessed just with a better bigger version. We want things simple, smooth, and on time. But this does not mean that we force designers with our feedback. If you are able to place yourself in your designer’s shoe, then you would be able to offer a better, constructive feedback.
Don’t just explain what you like and what you don’t like. Rather bring the discussion and let your designer come out with a solution to your problem. This will offer you with better outcomes and your designer will develop a sense of ownership.
Develop Trust
It is essential to develop trust first hand. Don’t simply point out the changes you need in the design. Rather, ensure your designer comprehends how a change could enhance the solution – without affecting the sense of ownership.
This way, the designer will be able to learn from a better visualizer and more experienced person like you. Also, it will develop trust and understanding between the two of you.
Build Understanding
If you are the mediator between the client and designer, then you are surely doing a tough job to keep both of them happy. While, definitely, you can always make suggestions to clients, the best way to deal with the designers is to share your expectations with them.
It is better to give designers a brief about your expectations even before they start. This will help them frame their idea in a way that you want. Also, it will offer designers the opportunity to balance the goals of the client and their thoughts. This way everyone can work transparently and in an effective way.
It Is Better To Give Feedback Rather Than Imposing It
You can be a perfect feedback provider if you don’t just send a spreadsheet of changes or forward an email with almost 10 to 20 changes to be done. Instead, it is better to make effective feedback delivery a priority. Make sure you develop a clear process of communication. Hence, try to structure your feedback more like a discussion and less like a bulleted list or an excel sheet with details.
Share Your Problem, Don’t Land With A Solution
Don’t directly land to the situation where the issue boils down to why you like or you don’t like a certain design. Instead, it would be better to bring the discussion back to the problem you wish to solve. If you will come to designer with a solution, then he will not think beyond it and would directly execute your suggested idea. This will also reduce the sense of ownership within him.
You must try to create a process that boosts problem-solving and result in a collaborative feedback. Designers are always looking for the opportunity to stand up and give a clear justification for their ideas. Hence, if you are conversing with them, then the designers can articulate things that a design may not be able to justify. Eventually, this will boost problem-solving.
Designers Are Also ‘People’
The experience of the designer plays a huge role in the way how they accept feedback. If you don’t want to lose on your rich asset, then find out the ways that your designer likes and things that he doesn’t like.
Allow them to open up to you about their past experiences and future goals. If you cherish a designer’s aspirations and save him from frustration, then this will move him to an allying situation. In this situation, your task will become less focused on trying to read the ideas and thoughts of a designer. Make sure you are motivating them rather than imposing or heading them.
Just remember, your end goal is to ensure that the feedback is implemented and not ignored. Hence, avoid being subjective!
If you are not satisfied with the in-house design solutions, then you can always outsource graphic design requirements to experts. These are experienced professionals and would ensure to serve you in the best way in the least possible time. But even when you outsource graphic design services to third parties, you must follow these feedback-giving pointers. This will ensure that your every idea is implemented and eventually you are offered with a design that is impressive, creates a lasting impression, and most importantly, suits your taste and preferences.