How to Provide the Best Feedback to Your Designer

Everyone knows that designing isn’t an easy task. As a result, it’s no surprise that many designers dread getting feedback from others. But when you get feedback well, it can be beneficial. It can help your designer improve and reach their full potential as a designer. Therefore, here’s how you can provide the best feedback to your designer so they can use it to reach their full design potential.

Don’t micromanage

First, you should make sure that you’re not micromanaging your designer. Micromanaging means that you’re constantly telling your designer what to do. You’re not letting them have enough freedom to create because you have a specific vision for the project. You’re also not allowing them have enough responsibility to achieve their own goals. As a result, micromanagement can lead to low productivity and a lack of motivation. On the other hand, if your designer feels that they have enough freedom and responsibility to be creative and achieve their goals, they’ll be much more likely to thrive.

Be honest, but be constructive too.

While you should be honest with your designer, you should also be constructive at the same time. If you absolutely hate a design choice that your designer made, then you should tell them. You should also explain why you don’t like the design choice and why you prefer a different design choice. What you shouldn’t do, however, is simply tell your designer to change their design because it’s different from your vision. Instead, tell them what you like about the design and encourage them to keep those aspects in mind while creating new designs. And don’t just change a few things and move on. Be honest and constructive, and genuinely look for areas of improvement.

Show you care about their future development.

Designers are always looking for ways to improve. Of course, they want feedback and guidance from their clients, but they also want to improve their own abilities. Therefore, you should show that you care about their future development by asking them specific questions about where they’d like to improve. This will help your designer feel challenged and motivated to grow. You can also ask your designer what they’d like to improve in their own skillset. This will let your designer know that their skills need to be improved continually.

Encourage your designer to grow.

Designers are constantly learning new skills and studying new areas of design. As a result, there’s always room for growth. However, most people don’t realize this; instead, they expect their designers to already be competent in all areas of design. This expectation can lead to frustration for both your designer and your clients. Therefore, it’s essential that you encourage your designer to improve continually.

And last, give praise when it’s due.

When it’s time for you to give feedback, don’t be afraid to praise your designer when it’s due. Don’t be scared to give compliments. Instead, compliment the specific skills that you saw in a particular design. For example, if you love the way that your designer incorporated colour into a specific design, compliment that skill. While it can feel a little cheesy at first, it’s essential to compliment your designer. It will help your designer feel important and appreciated.

Wrapping up

Providing the best feedback to your designer can make a huge difference to their growth as a designer. It can help your designer feel appreciated and motivated, while it can also help your clients see the areas of improvement that they need to make. If you want to provide the best feedback to your designer, then take these tips into consideration.