Ten Tips for Working with Designers

When working with a designer, or a team of designers, knowing how to describe your impression of their work and what you see right or wrong with it is often a challenge. We’ve collected a few tips to help guide the conversation so everyone gets the most
out of your next review:

1. Be specific and concrete
Deliver feedback with simple words and avoid subjective comments and vague instructions or assumptions like “it’s not fancy enough.”

2. Be open and honest
Be honest and direct with questions and feedback. Nobody benefits if concerns aren’t addressed as soon as they appear.

3. Be aware that design is a process
It takes a lot of time and conversation to produce high quality work. Give your project the room it needs to advance organically.

4. Try answering the question, “Why?”
Instead of a statement like, “I don’t like that color.” try “Why did you choose
that color?” – the answer may both surprise and delight you.

5. Remember, we are all in this together
It’s critical that both the designer and the client understand what the common goal is and that they are both working towards achieving it.

6. Know your process
What enables you to make decisions? What do you need to feel confident with the design? Being aware of that process and how it fits into reviews.

7. Acknowledge when feedback is subjective
When the response is a subjective preference, try to identify and acknowledge it.
It doesn’t mean that the feedback is any less valid, but it does help with
prioritizing revisions.

8. Decide
Building upon decisions is key to moving forward. Make decisions and move on.
Don’t let the project get hung up because you’re unsure. Ask for clarification,
more detail, etc.

9. Celebrate success!
You and your team have worked hard to produce something of quality.

10. Continue refining things
We’ve spent a lot of energy creating a new site, and extending it is easier than starting from scratch. Use the work you’ve done as leverage for continuing to grow.