8 Tips to Follow When Providing Feedback to a Designer
June 5, 2024
Category: branding
mastering the art of design feedback
hot take: you could probably be providing better feedback
As a designer who thrives on collaboration, I love working with clients who are ready to show up for every step of the process. When we combine your skills and expertise as the client with ours as the designer, amazing things happen! In full transparency I sometimes don’t get it perfect the first go around, and that’s okay! The beauty of design is to continue to improve, refine, and repeat, which is why we have a comprehensive process set in place.
At first, it might feel a little overwhelming and daunting to try to put your thoughts into words after receiving a design proof — regardless of the industry. Sure, I’m specifically talking branding, packaging, and website design because duh, but I’m sharing a few tips that could easily apply to other creative industries as well.
While every designer is different, here are a few of my favorite tips to help our Brighten Made clients feel confident giving feedback.
1 | Honesty is the best policy
Be honest and specific! If you don’t like something, let us know why. Be sure to point out exactly what isn’t working for you and the explanation behind it For example, let’s say across the presentation we’re using a serif font that you’re just not completely jivving with. Instead of saying, hey I hate this serif font. Explain what it is about that serif font that makes you hate it. Could it be that it’s giving too much of a traditional vibe? The more details and insights you can share, the better we can find a solution that will work well with your brand. From there, we can explore other alternatives to reduce a certain traditional feeling. It might be easy to feel like you just want to prescribe fixes with ‘try this specific font instead!’, but this is where our expertise comes in and we want to help guide you through this process.
2 | Remember your goals
As you review your proofs, remember the goals we outlined in your brand strategy. With these goals in mind, we can make an intentional brand together instead of something based on personal preferences. Everything we design is coming at this from a strategic place with your audience in mind. While you might be into black as an accent color there’s likely strong reasoning as to why we didn’t incorporate a true black. More on the whole audience thing below though!
3 | Limit Outside influences
This one is a biggie and lowkey might upset some folks. We know, we know! You’re so excited and it’s hard NOT to ask your BFF for their hot take on your new branding proof. I relate this to naming your baby. (Stay with me here.) When you have a list of ideas in hand and go to a friend or family member for their thoughts, you’ll find that everyone has an opinion. But here’s the thing. You’re the expert. You know yourself and what you want. The same goes for branding, in a sense, you are the expert in your business! So instead of asking for alllll the opinions, focus on the brand objectives we outlined prior to diving into the design work. We promise limiting outside influences will help make the brand the most successful and make you the happiest! Art made by the committee is rarely successful. It’s okay that your brand won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, that means it’s working!
4 | Ask Questions
Don’t be afraid to ask why. Every design decision we make aligns with your overall brand goal and audience but if you’re not sure why something is in a proof — ask us so we can explain our thought process and rationale. It can also sometimes feel overwhelming to wonder how we’d use certain things. For example, are we using every color in your color palette for typography? Probably not! In that case, just speak up if you’re curious on how we’d apply these examples IRL.
5 | have an audience first mentality
Put yourself in your audience’s shoes. Keep your audience top of mind for every decision or critique you provide. While something may not vibe completely with you, that can be ok if you are not the audience we want to attract through your branding. What does your audience need? What do they enjoy? Limit your personal preferences and think of them instead. Our goal is to create a brand that best represents you but ALSO speaks to your target audience.
6 | check ‘er twice
Cue Santa Claus is coming to town. Kidding, but revisit the proof a few times to refine your thoughts. It’s always so exciting when you start to see your new brand come to life, but it can also be overwhelming when you first review a proof. If you haven’t heard, we go all out for our branding projects so there are a lot of elements to consider. That’s why we recommend taking an initial look and capturing any immediate thoughts that come to mind, then stepping away before reviewing the proof another time or two to help refine your thoughts.
7 | focus on the main pieces
Don’t put a ton of focus on the "extras." Your branding presentation is meant to show you how your branding could be used IRL. But the main point of your presentation is the design elements (primary logo, secondary logos, brand marks, illustrations/patterns, typography, color palette). These are the things we need your feedback on whereas the other stuff is a fun way to envision how you can implement your branding in the long run.
8 | one point of communication
Whether you’re using email, a feedback form, a video recording, or making notes directly on the presentation via an app like Markup, compile feedback into one summary. While you may review the proof a few times, it’s best to send all feedback in one summarized email (or previously mentioned other platforms). This ensures your feedback isn’t contradicting itself at all, is comprehensive, and helps us best understand what you would like to see refined in future proofs.
Impactful Brand Design to Elevate Your Business
Are you ready to take the leap and have a strategic brand that converts leads to customers and builds loyal fans for years to come!? Reach out! We’d love to help you with our branding services.
Plus, check out all of our branding and website design services to see if there’s something else you might want to add to your design package — think a website design, packaging, or collateral goodies. The potential is endless!
