8 golden rules of feedback

In my 10+ years working as a product designer and UX manager, I’ve been in many review sessions, and received a great deal of feedback; some of it valuable, some was total nonsense.

Feedback can come from fellow designers, product managers, engineers… really anyone in the room/on the zoom call. Feedback can range from clearly articulated technical constraints to ‘not feeling comfortable’ with a new proposed mental model. But most often, it’s because everyone feels compelled to give feedback about design; after all, everyone relates to it.

We all have opinions because we are all users.

Feedback is great for gathering perspectives, but sometimes it can be overwhelming.

When designers gather feedback from multiple audiences, it’s essential to set expectations first. Without these expectations, it is common to see the next iteration with almost none of the input provided and with no particular reason for not applying it. Even though there are valid reasons, they are usually used as excuses.

• “I want to explore and see how it goes”
• “They don’t have enough context”
• “Engineering told me we can’t do that, so why bother”
• “I’ll leave that update for Version 2”

The 8 golden rules of feedback

1. Be clear

• Describe what type of feedback you want to get in the review session. The audience needs to know what stage you’re at, so they can provide more relevant and actionable feedback.
• With more relevant feedback, the easier it is to apply it, which will make your design review much more productive. e.g., “Please do not give feedback about the content; it is still a work in progress”.

2. Consider the source

• Irrespective of where the feedback is coming from, there is no guarantee it will be good or bad.
• Digest it all to understand what the feedback is really about and the perspective that it’s coming from.

3. Seek to understand

• Never be afraid to challenge feedback, just don’t try to validate your point every time.
• Being curious - understand the why, and provide proper context if someone needs more rationale.

4. Be humble

• It doesn’t matter how many years of experience you have or how much time you have invested in a project; there is always value in a different perspective.

5. Be open

• Not all the feedback will be actionable or positive.
• Don’t feel forced to apply everything, but do spend some time thinking about the feedback.

6. Give people space

• During the feedback session, let people finish their thoughts and respect their perspectives; even if you don’t agree with every point, internalize and thank them so the team feels comfortable and encouraged to continue giving feedback.

7. Stronger together

• Sharing your work to ask for feedback should be seen as a way to push your boundaries and strengthen your design skills. Proactively make it part of your design process, not just for mandatory reviews.

8. Assume good intentions

• Always come into a review with the belief your team has the same goal as you - to build an awesome product that makes an impact and solves the users’ needs.

Remember - if you are the one giving feedback, your input might not be something the team can do anything about or might not even be relevant. Whether or not your feedback impacts the final design, don’t take it personally.

We can’t be right about everything all the time, right?