Hello Indiana, So today, I want to talk about gathering feedback from stakeholders, particularly feedback on design. That said, the advice I want to share will also apply in other situations.
Most designers will have stories of dreadful feedback from stakeholders. In fact, feedback asking to "make the logo bigger" or "it needs to wow me" have become memes because they are so common.
However, today, I want to take a moment to share a couple of very specific tips about how I gather design feedback that will make your life a lot easier.
The problem of "unofficial" stakeholders
No doubt you ask who your stakeholders are at the start of every project. However, there are often "unofficial" stakeholders who are never mentioned and whose feedback is received secondhand. People that your official stakeholders decide to show the design too. This might be others within the organization or even random friends and family.
The danger with these unofficial stakeholders is that they understand none of the context involved in the decisions you have made. They have no information upon which to base their feedback, and so ultimately, all they can do is fall back on their personal opinions.
Try as you might, you will not be able to stop stakeholders from involving others, but you can at least ensure they are a little more informed.
Instead of giving your official stakeholders a link to a prototype or a mockup, record a video. In the video, talk through your approach and the work you have previously done, and end by asking for feedback around specific issues.
Adopting this approach will help educate these unofficial stakeholders and ensure the quality of feedback they provide is higher.
The wrong type of feedback
Not that poor feedback is just limited to unofficial stakeholders. Even a stakeholder who has been educated and involved throughout the process can provide poor feedback. Sometimes, this can be because they forget everything you have told them previously, but more often than not, we ask the wrong questions.
It is easy to fall into the trap of asking stakeholders, "What do you think?" or "Are you happy with this?" Questions like this are vague and encourage them to fall back on their personal preferences rather than what is right for the project.
To avoid this problem, we must ask specific questions that lead stakeholders to an informed conclusion. For example, when asking for feedback on a design, I favor questions like:
Do you feel that the design reflects the brand keywords we established at the start of the project? If not, what areas are of particular concern?
Is the design aligned with previous mood boards, wireframes, and design assets we produced together? If not, please explain what you feel I have missed or changed.
Based on the user research we carried out, do you feel we have prioritized the needs of your primary audience while avoiding alienating secondary audiences? If not, what exactly are the areas of concern?
Do you believe the design gives adequate attention to primary calls to action through positioning, color, size, and negative space? If not, which calls to action are underperforming and why?
These questions focus stakeholders on the correct issues, move them away from their personal preferences, and remind them of our prior decisions around brand keywords, wireframes, and user research.
I am also using the Yes Set Technique, which builds upon the commitment bias we discussed in the last email. If I ask a series of questions that the stakeholders answer yes to, they are much more likely to approve my approach, even if they have personal preferences that conflict with my direction.
In conclusion, gathering stakeholder feedback, especially in design, can be challenging. However, by being proactive and implementing specific strategies, we can mitigate the impact of poor feedback and ensure a smoother collaboration process.
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