[ This is an article I wrote for my design students, but is just as applicable to the professional world. ]

As part of any design related activity, you are expected to contribute and participate in design discussions by offering constructive feedback to your peers.  It is important to not only be able to design your own work, but contribute to others’ designs.  In the professional world, you will be expected to offer constructive feedback to your team members and clients. Learning to offer feedback, and to offer it (as well as receive it) in a constructive manner is an important skill to master and will ensure that your feedback will not be received a just junk.

Your goal with feedback is not to embarrass your peers by pointing out their flaws, but to give them ways to improve in a positive tone.  Remember that you are trying to help, not hurt. Therefore the way you communicate your message is important.  When communicating negative feedback, you must do so in a constructive fashion.

The main way to do this is to avoid coloring your feedback with emotion.  For example, instead of saying “Your work is terrible”, you should say “The readability of your site could be improved by using a larger font”. This provides a constructive solution, not just pointing out the problem.

The same goes for positive feedback.  Just saying “Your work is great” does not help anyone improve.  While it may feel good in the short term, we are all looking to learn and no one can learn if this is all the feedback you provide. Instead, explain WHY their work is great, such as “Your work is great because your site’s navigation makes it really easy to get around.”  Providing this type of feedback not only makes your peer feel good, but it provides them insight as to what they’ve done right so they can continue to do so in the future.

It is also important to be able to learn to accept feedback as well. And keep in mind that not all your peers (and usually your boss) will have read this article. Not all feedback you receive will be presented this nicely. In these cases, you should learn to strip away the emotion and just get at the constructive portion.  If a peer presents you with feedback that is too “emotional”, learn to ask them “Why” so you can get at the root of the problem.

Tips:

- Avoid emotions: Avoid coloring your feedback with your feelings. Don’t just rant, but explain why.
- Soften the blow: When presenting negative feedback, always include some positive feedback to help soften the blow. Don’t make things up or “sugar coat” things unnecessarily, but show your peer that you recognize the positive things they’ve done as well.
- Double Check: Re-read your feedback and before submitting, ask yourself how you would feel if you received this same feedback.

Questions?