For a good workflow in a project, it is essential to have a feedback process and a basic set of rules according to which the whole project team will behave.
First, select one person on the client team, a product owner or a decision-maker, to synthesize and deliver all client feedback so that you’re not getting it in from multiple people.
Everyone on your team should know where you are in the cycle of revisions, what is the time dedicated for iterations/change requests and when it’s the last call for final feedback.
Feedback Instructions
Whenever you request feedback from clients, you can provide them with these basic instructions:
While reviewing this proposal, please focus on reviewing [UX, UI, animations, flows, whatever you worked on at this phase]. If you have additional comments regarding any other phases, please leave it in the last section of the feedback.
While reviewing this proposal, please start by returning to the original goal to help filter the feedback. It will also help us avoid the scope creep.
Please make sure to deliver all feedback in one place.
If you are the decision-maker, please leave comments in the Figma file, on the appropriate screen.
If many stakeholders are involved in giving feedback, please synthesize it, so we don't need to resolve the conflicting opinions. Also, please write down the complete feedback in a document or in an e-mail to make sure we can reference it later.
Translate the feedback into the language of design. For example, if a site feels too “crowded” to you, think about what does that mean to a designer? Are you concerned about color, photos or illustrations? Are you worried about the lack of space? Write the feedback as direct as possible.
Provide timely feedback by baking it into your schedule and internal process. Plan time after presentations to synthesize and swiftly deliver any additional feedback. Our workflow is highly dependable on your feedback delivery.
Requesting feedback in a workshop or at a meeting
If you are presenting design proposals at a workshop or a stakeholders’ meeting, what you need to get is objective feedback on your work. To achieve that, always include a few feedback exercises after the design presentation.
1. Three gut-feeling adjectives
Let the stakeholders write down what attributes suit a particular design proposal best. They can choose attributes from a presentation slide you will display on the screen.
2. One good thing and the reason why
The stakeholders need to write down what they liked about a specific proposal and describe why they loved it.
3. One bad thing and the reason why
The stakeholders need to write down what they didn’t like about a specific proposal and describe why they didn’t like it.
4. Overall grade
The stakeholders need to rate a proposal on a scale to state their overall impression.
5. Questions (for later)
The stakeholders need to write down any additional questions and concerns regarding specific proposals to discuss with the team after you've finished with the exercise.
Also, please provide the stakeholders with these instructions for giving silent feedback:
- Don't comment aloud, so you don't influence others
- Be honest and direct
- Don’t peek what others wrote down
- Write your questions regarding proposals as they pop up in your head
It will help us and the clients get an objective, non-influenced feedback on the proposals, and better instructions for the next steps.