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If you're asking for feedback, at least give us the pitch

8 years ago from , Design Director @ Damn Fine

I'm on the fence over whether this should be a place purely for news or somewhere to get feedback from other designers too. I do know that it's the only online design community I actively enjoy engaging with though, so here's something I've been thinking about that might make it a bit better.

The thing is, I keep seeing a ton of posts from good designers that are just a link to a project and a request for feedback. No context or explanation. Maybe a defensive "I whipped this up in 30 seconds so maybe it sucks" disclaimer. You wouldn't present work to a client with no explanation of your decisions and process, so why are you doing it to us? Just because we're experienced, and maybe have a better handle on what constitutes constructive feedback, doesn't mean we automatically have this magic insight into what's going on in your work. If you want good feedback you have to help us to help you. Give us a bit more to go on. Tell us a bit about the thought process and the constraints of the work. Don't be shy.

Disclaimer: I knocked this up in 30 seconds and haven't had my coffee yet

9 comments

  • Brent RiddellBrent Riddell, 8 years ago (edited 8 years ago )

    It could be because the user doesn't get the pitch/explantion etc so showing other designers here I feel it should be rationale-free as well and then its seen more from the point of view of a user, 'fresh eyes' if you will :) The user doesn't care about your client, the budget, the timeframe, why blue is the 'right colour' etc

    Guess it depends on the kind of feedback you're after :)

    11 points
    • Tristam GochTristam Goch, 8 years ago

      That's a good point, totally valid.

      What I'm seeing a lot of is people seeking feedback with zero context, then getting defensive with the rationale. I guess it feels a bit counter-productive to answer feedback with "yeah, but ..." and shut down the conversation.

      4 points
    • Nathan LongNathan Long, 8 years ago

      That's possible, and if that's what is being looked for, maybe it should be stated up front.

      And I'd agree with Tristam that if that's what you present, no rationale, then you are running a user feedback loop, not design peer feedback, and observations made will probably also be made by your users. If the same thing keeps coming up from multiple people... well maybe then it should be addressed.

      I would think the most valuable feedback would from peers who understand your reasoning and constraints.

      2 points
      • Andrew NaterAndrew Nater, 8 years ago (edited 8 years ago )

        Maybe tag with Peer Feedback when looking for a designer's perspective and include a summary of the design's purpose, constraints, etc.

        Then tag User Feedback when checking for basic usability feedback.

        Thoughts?

        3 points
    • Rich ArnoldRich Arnold, 8 years ago

      That's true, but I would say the user also understands their own needs and context. I would say to give feedback you would at least need to understand what the user is trying to achieve which would mandate some kind of an introduction.

      2 points
  • Tristam GochTristam Goch, 8 years ago (edited 8 years ago )

    Relevant tweet just showed up on Twitter via @adamconnor

    Critique framework

    Edit: why do image embeds seem to fail so much on DN these days?

    2 points
    • Derryl CarterDerryl Carter, 8 years ago (edited 8 years ago )

      Edited: I was gonna say the link was bad -- but when I fixed it, the same thing happened to mine as well. Looks like there's an issue with the camo.layervault.com CDN

      0 points
  • Jordan KoscheiJordan Koschei, 8 years ago

    Totally agree. Design always exists within a particular context - makes sense that we should know the context before evaluating the design.

    1 point
  • Derryl CarterDerryl Carter, 8 years ago

    I agree. If you're soliciting something from anyone, you should prepare them as best as possible to help you. Help them help you!

    0 points