How to Give Helpful Feedback on a Design Draft (Without Feeling Like a Jerk)

Giving feedback on a design draft can feel awkward, especially if you don’t speak “design.” You want to be helpful without offending anyone, but you also want the final product to reflect your vision. Good news! You don’t have to be a design expert to give great feedback. We’ll walk you through some proven tips to make sure your feedback is clear, constructive, and collaborative.

Your Feedback Matters

Design is a collaborative process, and your feedback is an essential part of bringing the project to life. The more clearly you can communicate what’s working (or not), the quicker you’ll get to a final product you love.

Remember, your designer is an experienced professional, and professionals appreciate clear feedback because it saves time, avoids excessive revision rounds, and helps keep the project on track.

Here are some principles to organize your thinking:

1. Everybody Has an Opinion. Not Everyone Has Final Say.

This is a special note for large teams or groups that like to work collaboratively. It’s great to seek opinions from a wide range of stakeholders because everybody can have something useful to contribute.

But in the case of conflicting opinions, somebody on your team needs to have final say. To avoid confusion, appoint one person to arbitrate any differences and/or clean up your team’s feedback before delivering it to the design team.

2. Before You Respond: Take a Beat

Before you fire off your first impressions, give yourself a little time to digest the design. Let it sit for a few hours—or even overnight—so you can come back to it with fresh eyes. Look at it on different devices. And most importantly, try to view it through the lens of your audience, not just your personal taste.

3. Be Specific, Not Vague

Vague comments like “I don’t like it” or “It doesn’t pop” aren’t helpful by themselves. Try to identify why something isn’t working. Is it the color? The typography? The layout?

• Vague: “I don’t like the colors.”
• Helpful: “The colors feel a bit dark and don’t match the upbeat tone of our brand.”

Use screenshots or software with a comment feature to point out specific areas, especially if the design has multiple elements. Bonus points for any time you can frame your thoughts in terms of your brand story or visual standards.

4. Focus on the Goals

Tie your feedback back to the goals of the project. Ask yourself: Does this design appeal to our target audience? Does it align with our brand voice? Refer back to the creative brief if you’re not sure. Designers love feedback that’s rooted in strategy, not just opinion.

5. Don’t Try to Design It Yourself

You don’t need to solve the problem yourself. Just describe it clearly. Instead of jumping into art direction, explain what isn’t working for you:

• Instead of: “Make the logo bigger.”
• Try: “The logo feels a bit lost in the layout. Can we find a way to give it more presence?”

Then trust your designer to come up with a creative solution. Often their solution will be more beautiful and effective than you could have come up with on your own.

6. Stay Open to Dialogue

Remember, your feedback starts a conversation; it shouldn’t be the final word. Designers may come back with questions or alternative solutions. That’s a good thing! It means they’re thinking deeply and trying to find the best way to achieve your goals.

Ask questions like:

• “What was the thinking behind this layout?”
• “Do you think this color palette works for our audience?”

This opens the door for creative collaboration rather than criticism.

Make It a Team Win

Giving helpful feedback doesn’t have to be difficult or scary. Be clear, be kind, and stay focused on the shared goals. Your designer will appreciate your insight, and you’ll get a better final product because of it.

Need help sharing your feedback? Download our free Design Feedback Checklist to help guide your next design review.

Or reach out to your Account Manager. We’re happy to walk you through the process together.