Feedback Etiquette: 10 Unwritten

Rules(for clients and designers)

Discussing feedback in person

If you want to discuss your feedback in a meeting, send your notes with at least 24H before the meeting. Sending them the night before or with an hour before the meeting shows a lack of respect.

Editing transparency

If you'd like to have a document, website or banner copy modified, send you designer both the new version and the old. They shouldn't guess what changes you made.

Personality should never be the focus

Concentrate on the actual work you're delivering your critique for, the personality of the designer should never be taken into account or mentioned in any way.

Make it easy for people to read your feedback

Give clear, detailed names to the documents you're creating. Use full-page screenshots and complete layouts, use visual feedback software to pinpoint to specific elements.

Enough time for implementation

Don't ask for feedback if there isn't enough time to implement the changes. Don't ask for feedback just to validate your assumptions.

Not every suggestion has to be implemented

Feedback's role is to improve work, so the feedback that doesn't do that should be dropped. This is something that both the designer and the client should understand.

Don't offer feedback that isn't needed

You can ask for someone's permission to give feedback, but don't offer your critique for something that was never discussed as being the subject of feedback.

Don't lie about work status

If the project was delayed, don't hide this. Always be honest about how much you worked on the project and how much you need to get done before having a first draft or final proposal.

Be honest, but diplomatic

Don't hold back in telling the designer what you think about his work, but be careful how you do it. You don't want to come off as destructive.

Send you feedback promptly

Don't let your designer wait for your feedback for days or weeks. They will lose interest in working on your project and they'll forget some of your initial requirements.

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