A Guide to Good Feedback

Introduction

You know the feeling. You’ve been staring at the same logo design for 6 hours and just can’t seem to figure out what’s off. So much time spent going back and forth between color, type and style decisions but… no breakthrough. This is completely normal! And it happens way more than you think.

There’s a key factor that can help improve your workflow when you are completely stuck on a design: feedback. Whether it’s a fellow designer or just a friend, feedback is so helpful in pointing you back in the right direction. After all, designers are creating purely for an audience, so why not test and see what the audience thinks during the ideation process? Here we will dive in how to give and receive good feedback, and what that might look like while you’re designing.

Types of Feedback

There are three different types of feedback and it’s helpful to understand what they are/why they might come up. They are:

·      Positive

·      Negative

·      Constructive

Positive Feedback

Positive feedback involves the recognition of strengths and achievements in one’s work. This type of feedback focuses on acknowledging what someone did well, often paired with some praise and appreciation. Positive feedback is important because it fosters a sense of encouragement, that will keep the recipient’s spirits high, and feeling confident to tackle less celebrated work.

Negative Feedback

Negative feedback involved addressing areas of concern or areas that have room for improvement. It focuses on facilitating growth by encouraging the recipient to modify the weak points of their work. Negative feedback is important because it provides guidance for improvement.

“Your first design is not always your best idea. Finding out what customers want from your designs or services will help you quickly make important improvements and better connect yourself with your customers” (Ogaga, 2022).

Constructive Feedback

Constructive feedback is a good mediator between positive and negative feedback. While positive feedback only provides what was done well, and negative feedback only points out the areas to improve, constructive feedback emphasizes providing helpful suggestions and guidance for improvement in a positive and supportive manner. This type of feedback is more hands on and will more than likely exhibit better results from the recipient.

All of these types of feedback are important and should be included in a critique. Only using positive feedback will not improve someone’s work just as only providing negative feedback will not encourage the recipient to “take another stab at it.” Including each type of feedback in a critique is the only way improvement can manifest.

Clarity and Empathy

Clarity

It is important that when delivering feedback, the provider states the “why.” Why does this color feel too dark? Why does this text work really well? Explaining the why will allow the recipient to be more inclined to accept feedback, and thus improve their work for the future. Here is an example of how to make feedback clearer: Instead of saying “this text is too small” try changing it to “this text might be too small for the audience’s readability.” Now the designer knows for all of their future projects, to look out for the text being sized for readability.

“Providing feedback that is clear, specific, and actionable helps to create a culture where kindness and clarity thrive” (McLean, 2022).

Empathy

As designers we know that empathy is vital in the design thinking process. It is also important to use in critiques and feedback. Being empathetic is truly understanding another’s perspective. Utilizing an empathetic lens can help us grasp the intentions behind a design from the recipient's viewpoint. Moreover, it guides us in delivering feedback with the same sensitivity we would desire for ourselves.

Conclusion

Feedback is crucial for enhancing our design work. Understanding how to give and receive positive, negative, and constructive feedback allows for balanced critiques that foster growth. Clear explanations behind feedback help recipients implement changes effectively while practicing empathy ensures sensitive and supportive critiques. Incorporating these principles into feedback practices greatly improves our designs and promotes a culture of learning in the industry.

Hi! My name is Kristin Ardese and I am a professional Graphic Designer and Marketing Strategist. I hope that by sharing some of my expertise, I can help offer valuable insights and build an engaging community.