How to Provide Your Web Designer With Feedback They Can Actually Use

The web design process should be a collaborative one, and good communication is essential to the quality of the finished product. When your web designer shows you your new site and asks for feedback, they truly want your thoughts. They’re not simply looking for praise. Here are some simple ways to ensure that you’re providing your designer with effective feedback in order to get exactly the website you’d hoped for when all is said and done.

1 - Offer examples

If you think a portion of the site needs to feel more cohesive, for example, then you’ll want to get specific about what that would look like for you. You might say, “I’d like the homepage to feel more streamlined. Maybe we can remove these text boxes to make things flow more easily.” By providing a concrete example along with your feedback, you’re ensuring that everyone is on the same page with the revisions.

2 - Select one point person to deliver the feedback

This is the perfect time to use that old saying “too many cooks spoil the broth.” While your web designer values feedback, receiving notes from eight different team members within your organization can do more harm than good. It’s perfectly fine to want multiple people to weigh in on your site’s progress, but you should appoint one person to gather all of these notes and deliver them to the web designer to prevent any confusion.

3 - Don’t be afraid to ask questions

The web design process is a collaborative one. If you notice that your designer has incorporated an element or a style that you’re not sure about, it may be helpful to ask them to explain their thought process. Once you understand the reasoning behind the choice, you’re better able to decide if it aligns with your goals for your site.

4 - Keep your audience in mind

While you want to enjoy your new website, ultimately, the goal is for other people to enjoy it. Before you offer feedback on the project, try to put yourself into your customer’s shoes. You might think that having your company’s address and phone number listed in four different places feels redundant, but for potential customers, it may be extremely helpful for them as they’re looking to get in touch.

5 - Keep it focused on the project

Web designers expect feedback from their clients. It’s simply part of the design process. However, try to keep this feedback focused on the project and not on the web designer’s talents or abilities. Instead of saying, “Why do you only use bright, obnoxious colors?” you might say, “I’m not sure if those colors align with our brand. Are there other, more muted options available?”