How to Give Design Feedback

If you’re working with a design artist on a web page, book cover, band poster, or any other object with graphic layout, at some point you’ll need to meet and critique their design work. When providing your design artist with constructive criticism, it’s important to know how to give succinct, helpful, and useful design comments. Helpful feedback will improve your design project, and will ensure that you receive the type of work you’re looking for, without confusing or frustrating your design artist.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Providing Constructive Feedback

1
Ask the designer what type of feedback they’re looking for. Anytime a graphic artist asks for your feedback on a project, check to see what type of feedback would be most helpful.^{[1]XResearch source}
- For example, the first feedback meeting with a designer is not the time to talk at length about nit-picky feedback. The designer may just want to know if the project is broadly heading in the right direction, or may have specific questions they’d like your thoughts on.
- Say something like, “Before I jump in with my thoughts, is there a specific area of the design that you’d like my feedback on?”
2
Open with broad, general comments. When giving feedback on a graphic design—whether for a website, magazine print ad, book cover, or any other design object—start with your gut reaction or your big-picture critique. Discussions between clients and designers can easily get bogged down in minutiae. Avoid this by summarizing your thoughts to the design artist in 2 or 3 sentences.^{[2]XResearch source}
- So, if you’re concerned that the text at the bottom of the site is too dark of a shade of blue, save this feedback for a later meeting.
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3
Mix together complimentary and critical feedback. Whether your overall impression of the design work is positive or negative, you’ll have a better conversation about the designer’s work if you find elements to compliment and to constructively criticize.^{[3]XResearch source} These comments can help the design artist understand what you’re looking for in the design with more specificity.
- For example, if you’re looking at a mock-up of a new book cover, say something like: “I love the arrangement of the image and text on the cover. But, I think the font size of some of the text could be smaller.”
4
Provide specific details in your feedback. Clients can be notoriously vague with their feedback, or discuss graphic designs with abstract language. Help your designer by being as specific and concrete with your feedback as possible. Avoid discussions of how it makes you feel, and talk about particular visual elements that are or are not working.^{[4]XResearch source} Avoid abstract or vague statements like:
- “I like the fonts, but they need to pop more.”
- “The whole web page just needs to have more energy.”
5
Focus your feedback on bringing graphic design in line with the project goal. You and the designer can streamline your collaboration by keeping the website and business goals in mind. It may turn out that your personal likes and dislikes regarding the webpage aren’t relevant compared to the positive effect the page can have on your business.^{[5]XResearch source}
- For example, say you’re providing feedback on a website design for a bank but the design artist has filled the web page with colorful designs and playful fonts. Even if you enjoy the colors and energetic design, it’s probably not the most effective for a somber bank website.^{[6]XResearch source}
6
Provide your design artist with useful examples. If you’re having a tough time vocalizing to the designer exactly what you want a web page to look like, send them a few sample web pages instead. Example web pages will help the designer by giving them a concrete, visual reference when they’re modifying their design.^{[7]XResearch source}
- Providing 3 or 4 specific online examples will keep the graphic design chats from feeling like an exercise in abstract discussion.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Collaborating with the Designer

1
Anticipate respectful disagreement from the design artist. Although you’re paying the graphic designer, they’re not supposed to act as yes-men to your design whims. If a graphic designer thinks that the idea you’re describing is impossible or ineffective, they’ll probably tell you so. If they’re professional, the designer will then suggest a different way to tackle the problem.^{[8]XResearch source}
- Ideally, this type of disagreement can lead to a productive conversation about how the artist’s design can best satisfy your requirements.
2
Ask the design artist to explain their choices. If you’re confused about the work, or don’t understand some of the artistic and visual choices that the artist made, ask them to explain themselves. Instead of rejecting the work outright, asking about the designer’s rationale will give them time to explain themselves—and maybe change your mind as well.^{[9]XResearch source}
- So, instead of saying: “You have the image on the cover all wrong; the entire thing needs to be redone!” try saying, “I’m curious as to why you arranged the images in the pattern that you did.”
3
Give the designers the space that they need to work. Designers often feel micromanaged by overbearing clients who want to supervise or dictate every part of the design work. Trust that your designer can handle the task you’ve asked them to perform, and then give them freedom and time to make the design.^{[10]XResearch source}
- This shows the designer that you trust them and respect their work.
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Tips

Never open a meeting or discussion by listing flaws in the design image. Design artists are professionals in their field, and you should assume that they had a logical rationale for each decision.
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