How To Get Better Design Feedback (Part 1)

After experiencing about a zillion design reviews as a UX designer, director, and stakeholder, I thought I might share a few pointers. Here’s the start of a pragmatic, light-handed framework. Ask for specific feedback. At the beginning of the event, let reviewers know what types of feedback you’re looking for during the session. Example: “In particular, we’re looking for your feedback on: the customer flow right after they make a purchase whether showing related products at this point in time makes sense the new thank you message voice and tone.” Asking for specific feedback shouldn’t preclude reviewers from giving their opinions on stuff that’s not on the list (that will happen anyway!), but at least they’ll be aware of what is critical to focus on at the moment. Remind the audience. Before diving in, remind participants of what happened previously and where the team currently is on the project timeline. Reminders of the relevant past can help set expectations for the day’s review. Examples: “As a result of our last review and user research, we’ve concluded that the one-click purchase flow was not as important to customers as we originally thought. What we’ll cover today is the multi-step purchase flow, which we have prioritized as a team.” “We are about two-thirds done with redesigning our checkout process! We’ve covered product selection, add to cart, and credit card transactions. If you have any questions about how those flows work, see me after this session.” “Today, we’re sharing our first design drafts for product selection. These drafts have been informed by survey research on our current store pages, and a competitive analysis done last week by the product owner.” The longer the time between reviews, the stronger your reminders need to be. Do a 30-second recap of the previous season if you must (“Last season, on Orphan Black …”). It’s easy to forget that you’ve had the luxury of thinking about the design problems in a far more dedicated way than your reviewers. Map to the goals. As you expose the newly designed experience for conversation, share how the changes you made reflect the goals of the customer, business, and brand ethos. Example: “As you play with the prototype, you might notice that we took out the mini-product preview. Basically, the entire page is the preview. This gives customers an easier and more meaningful way of evaluating the type of products we’re selling. Reducing product uncertainty has been an overarching business goal of ours.” Hopefully it will be evident that your designs have mapped towards articulated goals, and reviewers will volunteer that information for you. That’s a true sign of success. Highlight points of contention. When product design team members or stakeholders have trouble agreeing, a review session provides perspectives that can help resolve a sticking point. Example: “Some of us believe that sending users directly to a full confirmation page is more important than product up-sell, because easing customer worry about whether their transaction went through will lower calls to customer support. Let’s take a look.” The “let’s take a look” phrase is important because you’ll want to talk through the latest design as the backdrop of discussion. Avoid reviewer urge to pounce on an issue with an opinion before presenting it well. Don’t fish for hidden gems. You’re asking for informed feedback, and not fishing for gem-like insight. The gems will happen when you facilitate participants to speak openly. Give them room to create connections through their subject matter expertise, customer experience, and with one another. Reviewers and stakeholders are not oracles, and they shouldn’t feel pressured to deliver “right” or “final” answers. In How to Get Better Design Feedback (Part 2), I’ll tackle how you can avoid salon-like behaviors during design reviews. Yikes!