Design feedback can be tricky for the inexperienced. Even if you’ve been giving design feedback for years, it can be hard to express the feelings you have about a piece without discouraging your colleagues—or to put into words intuitive or feeling-based critique. In my position as one of Ooligan’s design managers, I have to walk these lines between being encouraging to my fellow designers and expressing my concerns with the content of designed material every day. I’d like to share with you my favorite tips for giving design feedback that don’t make people feel bad but still express my concerns.

First, always keep an open mind. Designers all come at the material from their own experiences, which are varied and particular. Just because the design may seem strange or odd to you does not automatically mean that there is something totally wrong with the concept. It’s generally better to wait, allow yourself to take in the whole image, and then start to think about what might not be working, rather than to jump right in at first glance. Keep in mind that not everyone’s brains work the same way.

Second, take a deep breath, look away, and look back at the whole image. What is the main thing that is bothering you? Why is it bothering you? Think about what words you can use to describe that sense of unease? Is it too small? Too large? Should it be a higher or lower chroma? What about the shapes made by the negative space between objects? Nail down what exactly is bothering you, and put that into words on your end before you send your comments to your fellow designer.

Third, voice your position as a viewer. Put yourself in the position of the end viewer of the piece. What information does that viewer have? What is that viewer looking for? What does that viewer like? How long will the viewer likely be looking at the piece? Use these ideas as a guide for how you will phrase your critique. For example, I might say something like, “As a social media viewer, I’m thinking I might have a hard time reading this text, as the point size might be too small on mobile devices.” This keeps the critique clearly about the end product and reduces uncomfortably combative language like, “You made the font too small.” Changes like these go a long way in communicating not only what you don’t like about the design, but your reasoning for why it could actually impact the viewer of the piece when it is released. 

Fourth, explain your thinking. Editorial comments are always more compelling when you can see the chain of logic that led to your line of thinking. If you make the argument clearly for the change you would like to see, your colleagues can more effectively understand why you might make the comments you are making, rather than feeling judged by comments about how something looks wrong or bad. 

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, voice what you like about the piece. Use personal pronouns when you give good feedback. It can go a long way in your relationships with your colleagues to say, “You have a really great concept here!” or “I love the cute little design in the corner!” This not only is a nice thing to do, but it gives your colleague a road map for what direction you want them to go toward, not just where to steer away from.

I hope this list was helpful, and I wish you luck in your design feedback journey! It can be hard to find the right tone to set when giving feedback, but when you take the time to get it right, it can help not only the end product, but strengthen your relationships with your fellow designers.

Written by Marielle LeFave.