Feedback is a Gift…When Done Right

How to give and receive (design) feedback

Photo by Leone Venter on Unsplash

What do performance reviews, launch post-mortems, and design critiques have in common? They all involve giving and receiving feedback. As a designer, feedback is an essential part of the job. And when done right, it can help both the giver and the receiver.

On Giving Feedback

• When providing constructive feedback, we often become very specific: “Here’s a list of 5 areas for improvement.” When giving appreciative feedback, make sure to make it just as specific: “Thanks for leading the design workshop, which helped the team in these 3 ways.”
• Assess for yourself and then discuss the purpose of the feedback explicitly with the other person. Does the other person need that particular piece of feedback at that moment in time? If so, are you two on the same page?
• If the majority of interactions are negative, people will begin avoiding such interactions. Attempt to hit the ratio 5:1 between positive, appreciate feedback and constructive, developmental feedback.

We judge ourselves by our intentions, while others judge us by our actions.

• Don’t stop at feedback. Are there next steps that need to be discussed? Asking yourself this question can also help sort out the…