Throughout a creative project, poorly communicated feedback, emailing back and forth, creates drag on designers, developers and project managers and ultimately affects your satisfaction with the final work product. Seamless feedback is a tenet of successful projects and in this article we have outlined the best methods for providing frictionless feedback for your next project with iSky digital.
1. A collaborative approach.
Feedback is a collaboration between stakeholders and our team and should always be an open discussion. Oftentimes clients send a list bill of changes without defining what isn’t working from their POV. in this regard collaboration should be an open joint venture the elevates the finished product.Consider asking questions over martialing specific changes as this often opens a discussion that helps your designer and project manager understand your needs.
2. Don’t be vague!
Vague feedback is a catalyst for confusing designers and often sends a creative project into a tailspin. It is mission critical to explain exactly what you don’t like and why you don’t like it. Whether it’s typography or the layout, be specific with your feedback. Blanket statements, “like its alright” or “Doesn’t feel finished” won’t help the designers find the right direction. If you are providing feedback, make sure you are offering an insightful critique. If you are having trouble putting pen to paper, maybe it is best to schedule a video conference.
Here at iSky digital we generally design with Adobe XD to present our design. The Adobe Creative Cloud offers our clients and partners the ability to comment directly and pinpoint the specific design element that doesn’t work and has proven to be a highly effective tool for client feedback.
3. Consolidate your feedback.
More often than not, design projects have many stakeholders engaged in the feedback process and the format that each stakeholder communicates their critique can vary dramatically. It helps if you take the time to review feedback internally and consolidate the strongest and most effective feedback. This gives our creative team a more palatable direction and clarifies the trajectory of the project direction.
4. Keep it simple and concise.
Clarity of message is key! Structuring feedback in a clear manner of speaking is the best way to communicate effectively. Detailed feedback can oftentimes be a double edged sword. The true intent of what you mean may be lost in translation. So instead of writing long paragraphs, write a sentence or two on the subject matter and create bullet points for each pain point you need resolved. Bullet points are an effective way for project managers and creatives to mark as completed and give a better view of the scope of amendments you require.
5. Tell us what works and doesn’t.
Feedback isn’t just for critiquing the areas of design that need improvement, it is also a platform to communicate what works well for you. This helps our creatives dive further into the conceptual design ideas that you already love. This inturn allows our designers to focus the lens of what works and what doesn’t more effectively and ultimately to more time-efficient products that you love!
