Stop 06 · Design Collaboration & UXTopics · 10/10

Giving Useful Design Feedback

In short

"I don't love it" gives a designer nothing to work with. Feedback tied to a goal or a principle makes the next version better, and keeps the trust intact.

Specific, principle-based, prioritized feedback ('this button's hierarchy competes with the primary CTA') beats vague reactions ('I don't love this') and preserves trust with your design partner.

The purple blob, as a cricket coach, shows a young batter how to step forward in the nets.

Think of it like this

The good cricket coach

A poor coach shouts "bad shot!". A good coach says "your front foot isn't reaching the pitch of the ball, so you're edging it". Same problem spotted, but only one batter knows what to change in the next over.

Watch it happen

Same reaction, two ways

Vague

"Make it pop more"
"I don't like the blue"
Mixes big and tiny issues

Useful

Linked to the user goal
Names the problem, not a fix
Ranked: must-fix vs nice-to-have

Describe what's not working and why, tie it to the goal, and let the designer find the fix.

The big ideas

What you need to know

Start from the goal

"Our goal is faster checkout. This extra step may slow it." Goals beat taste.

Problem, not prescription

Say what's wrong, like "the Pay button gets lost", rather than "make it red".

Prioritise

Label must-fix, should-fix and nit. Twenty equal comments bury the important one.

Say what works

Point out what's strong too, so it survives the next round.

Save yourself the pain

Common mistakes

Oops

Leaving 30 comments in Figma with no order.

Do this instead

Group them and mark the top two or three that block the goal.

Oops

Giving feedback on pixel details during an early concept review.

Do this instead

Match feedback to the stage: flow and structure early, polish later.

Your mission

Rewrite vague feedback

~15 min

Quick check

Which feedback is most useful?

Go deeper

1Practice the 'I noticed / I wonder / what if' feedback framing on a real design.
2Separate must-fix feedback from personal taste explicitly when you give it.
3Learn to ask questions before proposing your own solution.