The Feedback Trap: Why Seeking Too Much Design Feedback Can Undermine Your Brand Vision
Navigating Feedback: How to Ensure Your Design Vision Stays True to You
So you’ve been given a document, a PDF, or a presentation of brand concepts from a brand designer. Or, you’ve just seen your website design for the first time. This moment has probably been a long time coming, as you’ve dreamt it and strategized it and willed it into existence. It’s thrilling to see your vision finally take shape, and if you ask me, it’s better than any season finale of any show. But then comes the moment of truth: sharing it with others. What’s to stop you from sending that PDF or site link to your entire email list? To your bestie, your entire close friend group? While it’s natural to seek validation, the feedback process can sometimes lead you astray, especially if it’s not guided by the right questions and considerations.
In my 10+ years as a designer, I’ve had people share their brands:
with a coaching group that had 30+ members
with their family text threads (yes, this has happened)
by putting it up on a television with friends to look on a bigger screen
None of those three scenarios resulted in a productive, good conversation and only served to confuse and make my clients second-guess their brands.
The thing is, I want you to share your new designs far and wide. Any time I receive something big that I know will fuel my business, I will inevitably run it by my best friend. No one can stop me, even if they send me an article just like this! Sharing your work is crucial to getting outside perspective, because typically, at this point you will have been so thick in the weeds that you might need to get a fresh take.
I will never ask you to not share your brands with the people you care about...but, let’s do it thoughtfully.
My request is that you share your design concepts with intention. As an entrepreneur, you know how important it is to make decisions that align with your goals and resonate with your audience.
Use the below script to get amazing feedback!
Hello!
I’m in the process of getting a new brand / website / etc. I would love to get your feedback on [the attached / this link] so that I can better reach my goals!
Speaking of goals, I want to ensure I’m inviting strategic feedback at this stage.
My goals for my brand are [enter goals.] My business is going to target [write your demographic.] And last but not least, what I bring to the table is [your favorite part of running your business, what excites you about your brand, etc.]
When you look at [the attached / this link], do you feel the designs meet my goals, my target demographic, and speak to the heart of my business? Do you have any design concerns that are related to accessibility and readability?
Thank you so much for being willing to give feedback! I value your opinion and look forward to reading your thoughts.
Now, let’s talk about the WHY behind that script. It’s important to understand the type of feedback and the structure of feedback first.
Here’s how to approach feedback in a way that keeps your design vision intact and ensures you make the best choices for your brand.
First: Focus on Your Strategic Big Picture
I believe that the perfect brand is a combination of these three things: your business goals, your personality, and your audience’s tastes.
When sharing with your group, frame the feedback against these things.
Instead of asking, “Do you like this design?” which can lead to subjective opinions, guide your reviewers with a more targeted question: “These are the goals, this is the audience: which concept combines those the best?” While you value their opinion and love these people, your friends did NOT go on the same journey that you did. Let’s give them a taste of the journey instead!
By providing context, you help your reviewers understand not just the aesthetics but the strategic intentions behind the design. This way, you’re more likely to receive feedback that’s relevant and constructive, rather than just personal preferences.
Most of the time, you’re not going to want to invite graphic design opinion from anyone outside of your Core Three (more on that below.) Design is subjective!
Second: Keep Your Feedback Circle Small and Relevant
It’s tempting to ask your entire inner circle for their opinions, but more is not always merrier. A large pool of feedback can dilute your vision and create confusion. Not to mention how much more work it creates to share with so many folks! How would you track feedback from more than 10 people? How do you decide whose feedback to keep and whose to release? Sharing far and wide might feel like it’s casting a wide net, but it creates tons of work for everyone.
Aim to keep your feedback circle small and focused—ideally, around three-ish people.
I’d keep design feedback to a “Core Three:”
Your Partner / Best Friend: Someone who gets you and knows your heart, your vision. This person might not know design, but they know what lights you up. For me, this is is my best friend. Not only is she someone who is usually in my target audience, but she also has known me 10 years!
A Trusted Colleague: An individual who knows the industry and can offer professional insight. This could be a coach, a mentor, or someone you trust.
A Target Audience Member: A person who represents your ideal customer and can provide valuable perspective on how well the design resonates within your niche. No matter how many times I share designs with my boyfriend, he isn’t always the target audience and doesn’t ‘get’ design.
This targeted approach ensures that the feedback you receive is constructive and aligns with your brand’s objectives.
No matter how many people you share with, always give your designer one clean list of feedback and try not to mention who-is-who. It’s hard to hear as a designer: “My husband doesn’t really like the font. I liked it, but I wanted to see other options for him.” If you choose to take that type feedback, that’s amazing that you are involving someone from your core group! However, sharing with the designer can be more succinct and use concrete language. Perhaps rephrasing to say: “I’ve got concerns around the font - I like it, but I’m not sure it meets my brand goal of feeling soft. Can we try a few more fonts?” (That’s also using concrete feedback vs vague feedback, which is so helpful!)
Third: Prioritize Accessibility
Logo design isn’t “anything goes” on a blank canvas. And websites should definitely follow some sense of structure not only for SEO, but for screen readers being used by those with visual impairments.
Truly, branding and websites should follow a standard of accessibility so that everyone can enjoy your content, not just those with good vision.
For accessibility, here are a few things you should prioritize design-wise:
Ensure font sizes are large enough to read! This goes for print and on-screen. Check your logo’s subtitle and your fonts on your website. This is a GREAT thing to check with your older family members. I know I always ask my mom if my logos are readable to her!
Check that colors have enough contrast. Contrast is a sneaky one, because wacky color combinations can look SO COOL. But, it’s always best with your core information like your logo, that you have font colors and graphics that are dark on light backgrounds and then options that are light for dark backgrounds.
Try not to “replace letters with things.” This means not turning an O into a flower or an L into a snake. This design style is incredibly hard for folks with dyslexia or reading impairments to make out. Yes, it might seem cute, but you’re making it that much harder for everyone to understand your content.
If you share designs with your core group and they’re saying things are hard to read, that they couldn’t tell what letters said, or that contrast and colors don’t look right, that’s excellent feedback to take to heart and share with your designer. They should be able to remedy that and will appreciate that concrete feedback!
Fourth: Understand Your Target Demographic
A great example here is my brand: Bold August Design Studio! I run a colorful and enthusiastic design studio, that mostly targets wellness studios, therapy practices, and other solopreneurs. My brand typically targets women! This is a result of many factors that are for another article at another time, but it does mean I shamelessly use bold orange and bright pinks in my branding.
This also means that I wouldn’t share my logo or my brand with my dad. Or, sometimes, my boyfriend. They’re not in my audience, they’re not my demographic. They’re not people who would invest in my services and they would not purchase any of my ebooks or download any of my resources. They don’t watch my Canva videos and they don’t read articles like this.
So, why would I ask them brand feedback? I wouldn’t!
If you were a company that sold dog treats, would you ask only cat owners their opinion?
If you sold baby blankets, would you ask someone who doesn’t have a child?
The answer is: you might, if they were your best friend or coach, but you need to make sure you also share your designs with at least one person in your target demographic to see how the visuals land with someone who would actually purchase your product or invest in your service.
Last but not least: Trust Your Gut
Remember, the feedback process should complement your vision, not override it. Your instincts about your brand are invaluable. While feedback can provide useful perspectives, ultimately, you know your business best. Your design should reflect your vision and resonate with your target audience, not just conform to others’ tastes.
When you receive your brand files or website, you’ll want to really take note and remember how you feel when you first see the files. Hopefully some things have really caught your eye, or you’ll feel elated or excited. (If you don’t feel excited, note why, and think through how to turn those feelings into concrete feedback.) Remember those feelings! Your first impression is extremely valid.
If you share the designs you love with someone close to you and then they critique it, you might feel deflated. It might make you think that you have bad instincts and you might feel silly for your initial reaction. Don’t! Trust when I say, truly, you do not want to dismiss any of your instincts. Feel good about your vision and stay strong through feedback that might not feel as positive as you wanted.
You’re the one embarking on this journey, partnering with a designer, and doing the work it takes to bring your vision out into the world. That process is powerful and needed.
Final Thoughts
Feedback is an essential part of refining your design, but it’s most effective when approached thoughtfully. By asking the right questions, keeping your feedback circle focused, and balancing outside opinions with your own instincts, you’ll ensure that your design remains true to your brand’s vision and goals.
Remember, your design journey is unique to YOU and YOUR brand—trust yourself, stay aligned with your goals, and let your design shine as a reflection of your passion and purpose.
