How to provide the best feedback

Providing feedback is a crucial part of the process and ensures that your brand and website are exactly where you want them to be. Here are some do’s and don’ts to follow so we can arrive at a meaningful end product.

DON’T:

“I don’t like it.”

DO:

“I love the typeface you have used, but I don’t feel like the layout represents my brand as well as it possibly could. I would love if we could try ……”

In order for me to create the best possible brand and online experience for you, I need to know what you don’t like and why you don’t like it. Provide reasoning for every statement you make and suggest changes that you would like to see.

*Remember, as your designer, I choose everything for a reason to intentionally resonate with your target audience and champion your goals. So while I want you to love your brand and I’ll always take your personal preferences into consideration, I hope you will also consider your brand as a separate entity and work with me in representing it in a strategic way.

DON’T:

“This isn’t what I want.”

DO:

“I can see that you’ve put a lot of time and effort into this design and I am very appreciative of that. However, I think I had some different ideas in mind such as ….”

I’m a human with feelings too! I’ve probably spent hours and hours perfecting the design and it’s becoming a piece of work that I’m really proud of. A little kindness goes a long way and that second statement is much more constructive. I am ALWAYS happy to accommodate your preferences as much as I can, but professional experience and strategy will usually still come first.

DON’T

“Can you please move this piece of text underneath and perhaps center it and maybe also add a little line here?

DO:

“I’m really liking the direction so far! Are there perhaps some changes to the primary logo that we could make so that is more balanced and linear? I would maybe also like to see a little more detail if possible.”

I’m totally down for bouncing ideas off each other but sometimes it’s more constructive to have an open conversation about things versus dictating certain design elements.

*You may want to draw the logo yourself or create it in an app like Canva and then send it over. That’s cool. I believe in a collaborative process but just remember that you hired me for a reason. 🙃 Designers are hired for our ability to come up with creative solutions, not just to recreate the design that you have created that may not draw on any deeper meaning or the strategy of your brand. But I’ll always take every step possible to incorporate elements that are meaningful for you and your brand.

DON’T

“Can I see something more modern?”

DO:

“Could I possibly see a more modern design? I have sent over a few examples of what I mean by this. perhaps a thinner font and a simpler layout?”

What “modern” means to you might be something totally different from what comes up in my mind or your audience’s mind. The same goes for any adjective that you use such as “bold” or “badass”. I love as much description as possible so please expand on what you mean and always feel free to send some visual examples or a link to a Pinterest board!