(1) NEW NOTION NOTIFICATION
“Your Brand Identity Presentation is ready for review! Please submit feedback using this feedback form by x date. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts! 😊”
THE MOMENT YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR.
You’ve listed out all your hopes and dreams to me for your brand new branding and website. Giving me allll the deetz I could ever need to know & now you’re hoping (fingers crossed 🤞) that I’ll bring your vision to life.
And coming from the sweet words of past clients, I can do just that 😉
In order for us to really hone in on the details & get your branding justttt right, I want to make sure you know how to give effective feedback.
5 easy steps on giving effective feedback
KEEP YOUR brand foundation IN MIND
During the Brand Strategy/Creative Direction phase, we lay down the key foundational pieces to your brand. Things like:
- Brand Mission, Values, Purpose, Vision
- Brand Voice & Personality
- Target Audience
- Competitors
It’s crucial to keep those at the top of your mind when giving feedback to the brand identity, website, or any design add-ons.
That brand strategy is what dictates the why behind your design. It’s why I choose those specific fonts, colors, photography, etc.
→ Not sure what Brand Strategy is? Read this blog post!
When you start to stray away from those key elements, we end up designing a brand that won’t speak directly to your target audience.
GATHER ALL YOUR IDEAS & CONDENSE
You may have loads of thoughts or ideas swirling in your head after the initial preview of your new brand identity. Write them all down – and I mean everything.
Now, let’s think back to the first step: “Keep your brand foundation in mind”. If any of your thoughts don’t keep those in mind, we’re going to cross that out.
We want to focus on what matters most, which is designing a brand that speaks directly to your target audience.
THINK CRITICALLY ABOUT THE “WHY”
Let’s break down your list even further by thinking critically on the “why”.
- Why do you like this specific piece of the design?
- Why do you not like this specific piece?
You’ll want to start getting really specific. Saying things like “I don’t like it” isn’t a way to provide effective feedback.
Being specific helps us gauge why you’re feeling those opinions on the design. We want to ensure those opinions aren’t personal. Like, “I don’t like X color because it’s not in my top fav colors.”
Instead, try saying “I don’t like X color because it makes me feel X. I want my target audience to feel X instead.”
Or, “I love X color because it makes me feel X. That’s exactly how I want my target audience to feel!”
TRUST YOUR DESIGNER
At the end of the day, it’s my job to find and present the best solution for your business. It’s why I’m a one-concept designer and with the one-concept method I can go in-depth and present a whole brand identity that doesn’t leave you confused unlike showing several concepts.
The same goes with providing feedback. Giving a list of ideas for the logo and then wanting me to design them all isn’t effective. That takes away from the idea of the one-concept method.
Of course, if there’s elements of the brand identity you don’t love, we’ll adjust and change it! I want you to be obsessed with your brand!
But, we don’t want to have a situation where you’re listing out “Let’s try this, and then this, and this. And I want see all those versions designed so that I can compare.”
Instead, trust your designer that they’ll find the best design solution for your brand. After all, it’s why you invested in a professional in the first place.
BE KIND & SUBMIT ON TIME
If there’s something you don’t like about the design, that’s okay! But, we want to make sure we’re staying kind. Just like you, I’m just another gal with feelings.
In the words of my man Harry Styles, “Treat People With Kindness”
Going off of that, make sure you submit your feedback on time. You’ll always be notified (& reminded!) when feedback is due. If, for any reason, you can’t submit it by the deadline, communicate that!
Look, life happens! I get it! Work gets busy, XYZ occurs, and suddenly you’re realizing you won’t be able to get that feedback turned in on time. As long as you communicate that, we’re all good.
Ghosting though? Full radio silence? Let’s avoid that.
Ready to put what you learned about feedback to use?
Now that you’re an expert in giving effective feedback, hand it over to the expert for branding and website design. 😉 If we haven’t met yet, HEY I’m Cagney! A designer who loves bold, personality-packed branding and websites for passionate creatives like you.
