How to get constructive feedback

Issue 11: Lessons learnt from running design reviews and stakeholder management

Are you struggling to get honest, impactful feedback in design reviews? You know you need the insights that feedback provides, but extracting genuinely constructive criticism often feels just out of reach. If you’ve ever left a feedback session more puzzled or frustrated than when you entered, you’re not alone.

Feedback fuels growth. It’s an art form that requires strategy, selectivity, and proactivity.

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In this issue

• Seek diverse perspectives

• Strategic questions to answer

• How to explicitly ask for feedback

• Acting on feedback

• Navigating stakeholder dynamics

For paid subscribers:

• Differentiating helpful vs. unhelpful feedback

• Nurturing a feedback-driven culture
  

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Seek diverse perspectives

The first mistake many make is looping in the same set of eyes for every review. This approach can lead to stagnation. Engineers bring insights on feasibility, PMs focus on business alignment, and end-users provide practical insights. To uncover your blind spots, you must embrace a broader spectrum of perspectives, stepping out of your comfort zone into a space where diverse feedback thrives.

Strategic questions to answer

To make feedback sessions more constructive, ensure you and your reviewers can answer these questions:

1. What are the objectives for the design?
   Clearly define your goals. Are you aiming to boost engagement, increase conversions, or enhance usability? Clear objectives lead to targeted feedback.

2. What constraints/ trade-offs did you have?
   Highlight any limitations, like technical, budgetary, or user-specific constraints. This context helps reviewers understand your design choices.

3. How are they effective at achieving the objectives?
   Explain how your designs aim to meet the goals. This helps focus feedback on the effectiveness of your choices.
   

How to explicitly ask for feedback

Asking for feedback effectively is an art that requires clarity, timing, and the right approach. Here are practical tips and examples:

• On Slack: “I would like your feedback on the visual hierarchy of this design. Could you share your thoughts on what could be improved and why?”

• During design reviews: Ask specific questions like, “How do you think this design aligns with our user accessibility goals?”

• In 1-1s: “Could you review the user flow I developed for our checkout process? I’m looking for ways to streamline navigation and reduce friction points.”

Follow-up questions to encourage detail:

• “Could you elaborate on that point?”

• “What specific changes would you suggest?”

• “How do you think this would impact the overall project outcome?”

Acting on feedback

Not all feedback should affect your decisions equally. Discern which pieces align with your strategic goals and which do not. Recurrent themes are worth addressing; random, vague, or overly critical inputs should be sidelined. Prioritize feedback that drives your objectives forward.

Navigating stakeholder dynamics

Understanding the influence of different stakeholders can significantly impact how you manage and respond to feedback:

Use this stakeholder framework:

Based on the Power-Interest grid

• Dolphins (High Power/High Support): Keep these key stakeholders closely engaged.

• Elephants (High Power/Low Support): Address their concerns diligently to prevent derailment.

• Bees (Low Power/High Support): Keep them informed and leverage their enthusiasm and insights.

• Ducks (Low Power/Low Support): Monitor these stakeholders, but focus your energy on more influential stakeholders.

Use these categories as a starting point to understand stakeholders, not as stereotypes.

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For paid subscribers, this article continues with 2 more chapters:

1. Differentiating helpful vs. unhelpful feedback

2. Nurturing a feedback-driven culture

Enjoy what you’re reading and want to support? Consider becoming a paid subscriber.

A heartfelt thank you to all current subscribers for your engaging discussions and invaluable input.