When you are designing a website, you will often work with a graphic designer or web designer to formulate the layout, color scheme, and fonts before your website can be built. Graphic designers will use color theory, design techniques, and attention to detail to create a website that is easy to use but also eye-catching. As a customer, you may have to give feedback to the designer if you are not happy with the first design or want it to align better with your business goals.
Clients often struggle to provide feedback to their graphic designer that is actually helpful. When you have a vision in your head, getting someone else to meet that vision often takes a lot of back and forth. This blog will provide some insight into how you can provide effective feedback to get your website to the best result possible.
Avoid Vague Statements
It can be hard to avoid vague statements when you don’t come from a design background, but these comments are not helpful to your graphic designer. When providing feedback, it is important not to comment on gut reactions such as “this looks weird” or “make this pop.” Feedback should provide clear changes you want to make, rather than just a vague thought at first glance at the design. Try commenting on the flow of the design, the colors are too bright, or comment on something specific you want removed from the design. Give examples or make your expectations clear on what you hoped the design would look like.
Make Your Vision Reasonable
While most graphic designers will do all they can to make your vision come to life, your wildest design dreams may not be achievable. Certain shapes, colors, and styles may not mesh together for a website. Font styles or colors may be hard for users to read, so a graphic designer may choose something more user-friendly. Making impossible requests can make the collaboration between you and the graphic designer painful if you are unwilling to adapt.
While it is not wrong to have a specific vision, you should also trust your graphic designer’s skills and ability to create a website that will attract new customers. If you have a specific vision, do your best to describe exactly what you want to the designer so they can use their skills to create a design that is as close to your vision as possible.
Ditch The Sandwich Technique
When most people provide feedback, they tend to sugarcoat things or follow the sandwich effect (positive feedback, negative feedback, positive feedback). While you may see this as compassionate and more constructive than just pointing out what you don’t like, it can actually push out the process of getting you a website you love. Many graphic designers are used to getting constructive feedback, so there is no need to sugarcoat the changes you want to make.
Since this is a common technique, most designers will overlook the positive feedback entirely because they recognize what the client is trying to do. Giving constructive feedback that will truly address the problem is better than telling the designer you are unsatisfied with the website design or putting them down.
Connect Back To Your Business Goals
Since creative work is very subjective, you may have to include your business goals in your hopes for the website design. Some graphic designers will want to make websites look sleek and modern, but if your business doesn’t align with that style, you may feel disappointed with the website design.
Rather than sharing your personal style and preferences, focus on what your audience will want and what your business is trying to communicate. If you are trying to evoke a certain feeling, communicate this to your designer. This is more constructive feedback than just stating the design is unlike your personal style. Some emotion words that can be helpful include warm, inviting, clear, bright, happy, young, adventurous, or cozy.
Ask Questions
Designers have a very specific process that they follow and often choose colors, shapes, or elements for a specific purpose. Instead of just providing feedback, it can be helpful to ask questions as to why the designer chose that particular element. Ask them why they chose that color scheme, how they thought this design matched your brand goals, or if they think the design is easy to navigate. Questions foster collaboration and conversation that may help you get to an approved design much faster.
Websites And Graphic Design From PDM
Performance Driven Marketing is committed to providing SEO compliant websites and visually appealing designs. Our graphic designer and web development team work together to create a website that meets your branding needs and will be easily read by Google. We want your website to convert customers and help boost your business. If you are looking for a new or more easily navigated website, reach out to us to get started.
