Creating a custom design can be a collaborative process.. There are many important elements make up the design process. One of the most important elements is feedback. Great feedback can help achieve goals, create3 an effective user experience, deliver overall design that represents the look, feel, and personality of a brand.

Usually non-designers aren’t quite sure how to give back effective feedback. Their feedback of often vague, too descriptive, and doesn’t represent their ideas properly. This blog will show you some tips on how to provide useful feedback.

Be Specific

Being specific during the entire design process is very important. It all starts with your initial consultation and the discussion of what you envisioned for your new design. If you give a descriptive and succinct feedback to your designer, your designer will have better insights on what you want the final project to be. It also makes sure you both are on the same page.

Poor: Needs to Pop

Good: Can we make the navigation pink (#EDACD8)?

Stay Goal-Oriented and Know Your Brand

When looking at a design to give feedback on, think about what exactly you want to achieve with your website. You should consider this as you want to convey as an overall brand. Once you’ve decided on your brand’s “look and feel”, apply this knowledge to anything you give feedback on.

Poor: These stock photos need to be changed

Good: We want the photos to speak to our target audience, which are males who are into football. Can we find some images that help to better convey this?

Offer Suggestions
If something sticks out to you on the design that you’d like changed, it’s extremely helpful to provide suggestions, if you have them. Even if you have more than one idea, its better to give the designer an idea of what you’re aiming for with suggestions, than nothing at all.

Poor: Redo this promo

Good: This promo isn’t standing out. Maybe we can try a different call to action or change the button to red? Maybe a bolder font?

Ask Questions

Sometimes, a designer will add different features that haven’t fully explained in their initial notes. The designer could have felt the certain elements work with your design, brand and/or website. If you’re curious about a certain element or feature don’t hesitate to ask about it!

Poor: We don’t want this “sticky header”. Delete this.

Good: Can you please explain to me why you included a “sticky header” within our initial proof? will it be useful for a user experience or something along those lines?

Design Vs Designer

When critiquing, make sure to give feedback about the design and not the designer. It’s very important to keep in mind the designer is working with you to create the very best design that fits well to your brand. We always want a WOW factor, design and experience.

Poor: I hate the copy you wrote here.

Good: I’m not sure if this copy on the hero images are what is quite right for our brand. We can write something up on our end and send it over.

In conclusion, giving back effective feedback will help ensure a marvelous smooth design process. You will learn about the process of design and it will help improve your design, and exceed your expectations of a website you’ve always dreamed of having.

Written by Becky

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