Written by: Nadine AbdElMegeed
Why Creative Feedback Matters
At Digitillusion, we’ve seen it countless times: a brand team sends vague feedback to a designer, thinking a simple “Make it pop” or “I don’t like this” will be enough. Instead, the designer spends hours guessing, revising, and trying to interpret the feedback which leads to frustration, misalignment, and wasted time.
Feedback is the bridge between your vision and the designer’s execution. If the bridge is shaky, your content suffers. The good news? Giving actionable, clear, and precise creative feedback is a skill that can be learned and when done right, it accelerates your workflow and improves creative outcomes dramatically.
In this post, Digitillusion breaks down how brands can give feedback designers actually understand and act on, based on our experience helping businesses streamline creative production.
1. Distinguish Observation From Opinion
Many teams confuse “I don’t like this” with useful feedback. Designers need actionable observations, not personal taste.
Example:
- Opinion: “The hero section doesn’t feel right.”
- Observation: “The hero image’s contrast makes the primary CTA hard to see. Increasing contrast and adjusting the button color could make it more visible.”
Observations are grounded in what is happening, how it affects the goal, and why it matters.
Key steps:
• Identify exactly what element is affected
• Describe its current impact on usability or messaging
• Suggest a reasoned improvement
2. Give Context, Not Just Preference
Designers respond to goals, not personal taste. Feedback should always tie to a purpose.
Example:
Instead of “Make it more exciting,” try: “Our hero section doesn’t communicate the promotion clearly. A bold header with a short supporting line could help grab attention and increase clicks.”
Bullet points:
• Tie your feedback to a measurable goal: conversions, engagement, or brand consistency
• Avoid vague statements like “I like this” or “Looks boring”
• Provide examples with context: “I like how [Competitor X] highlights the CTA above the fold, we could explore a similar approach.”
3. Use Visual References Strategically
Showing is always better than telling. Designers process visuals faster than text.
Helpful references include:
• Screenshots of competitor campaigns or layouts
• Moodboards for colors, typography, or composition
• Annotated examples highlighting exactly what you like or don’t like
Paragraph example:
Instead of saying “I like this style,” you could say: “I like how this layout emphasizes the CTA without overwhelming other elements. We could adapt a similar hierarchy for our homepage hero.”
4. Apply Structured Feedback Frameworks
Frameworks prevent feedback from turning into confusion. Here are some we use at Digitillusion:
Keep, Change, Remove: Identify what works, what needs adjustment, and what should be eliminated.
Goal → Observation → Suggestion: Start with the objective, describe what’s happening, and propose a solution.
Priority Levels: Tag feedback as High, Medium, or Low to help designers prioritize efficiently.
Paragraph example:
Instead of “This doesn’t look right,” try: “Goal: Increase CTA clicks. Observation: The button blends into the background. Suggestion: Use a contrasting brand color to make it more prominent.”
5. Tone Matters
How you say feedback impacts how designers receive it. Constructive feedback fosters collaboration, while harsh or vague comments slow down the process.
Tips:
• Avoid absolute terms like “wrong” or “bad”
• Phrase feedback as collaborative questions: “Could we explore…?” or “Would it work if…?”
• Acknowledge what works before suggesting changes to maintain motivation
6. Use Tools That Make Feedback Actionable
Feedback is only as good as the system you use to deliver it. Digitillusion recommends tools that make feedback visual and trackable:
• Canva: Which is used as a brand kit for consistent visuals and team collaboration
• Notion: To centralize feedback threads with priorities and deadlines
• Adobe Creative Suite: Professional-grade design and editing tools that will certainly elevate your designs and make them stand out.
Example:
Instead of sending a long email with scattered points, annotate directly on Notion. Designers instantly know which element each comment refers to, cutting back-and-forth by 50–60%.
7. Example of Feedback in Action
Vague: “I don’t like the header image.”
Actionable:
“Goal: Increase homepage engagement. Observation: The current header image doesn’t reflect our target audience’s lifestyle. Suggestion: Replace it with a dynamic shot showing a real person using the product, similar to this reference [link].”
Nielsen Norman Group – Constructive Visual Feedback
Conclusion
Better creative feedback isn’t about being critical or controlling, it’s about clarity, specificity, and collaboration. When feedback is actionable, designers deliver faster, closer to your vision, with fewer revisions.
By observing instead of opining, adding context, providing references, and using structured frameworks, brands can turn feedback from a bottleneck into a tool for creativity.
End the endless back-and-forth. Digitillusion can help your team give feedback that actually moves the needle.
We’ll transform vague comments into precise, actionable insights, so your next design draft isn’t a guess, but exactly what your brand needs.
Ready to make feedback to your creative superpower? Let’s elevate your creative process together. Talk to us
