The Art of Navigating Feedback and Critique as a Product Designer

Receiving feedback and critique as a Designer can often feel a little uncomfortable. Particularly early on in my career, I would struggle to listen to critical feedback without going into defence mode. It’s a common challenge I hear other designers talk about, but one that can be overcome by improving emotional intelligence and acknowledging the human bias towards negativity. Here I talk about the reasons why you’ll often receive more negative than positive feedback and some practical advice on how to embrace it.

Don’t be so defensive

Hearing feedback that is negative or critical of something we have created isn’t all that fun - and sometimes we feel like we need to ‘defend’ ourselves. In the book “The Chimp Paradox”, Professor Steve Peters delves deep into the inner workings of our minds. The focus of the book is how the emotional part of our brain, the ‘Chimp’, can be both a friend and a foe. The Chimp can trigger emotional responses when we receive feedback, causing us to become defensive or even argumentative. It’s important for us to recognise when this Chimp is taking over and avoid responding in that moment. If you already have a well-considered response, for example “thanks for the suggestion, we did actually test something similar with users, but they preferred this approach” then that’s okay. If you don’t, it’s sometimes better to simply thank the person for their feedback, make sure you have a note of what was said and tell them you’ll take it away with you to consider. It may not even need a response, but if it does, you will be able to carefully consider how you respond, rather than in a moment of defence. This process can enhance your emotional intelligence and contribute to creating a more positive feedback culture in your workspace.

Start with context

When asking for feedback, it’s important that you provide context and be specific about what you want feedback on. You have to clearly communicate the goals and objectives of your design and the scope of what you need input on. Explain your process so far and how you’ve got to where you are now; what you’ve tried, what has worked, what hasn’t and why. This not only helps you receive more relevant feedback but also ensures that the feedback aligns with your intended outcomes.

Separate ‘you’ from ‘your work’

It’s easy to take feedback personally. Whilst it can be challenging, it’s essential that you detach yourself from your work. Remember that getting any feedback, whether positive or negative, is about improving the designs and ultimately a step towards a better solution - it’s not a reflection of your worth as a designer. This mindset shift allows for more objective responses and cultivates a better collaborative culture.

Avoid the ‘TA-DA’ moment

Showing your work as early and as often as you can is fundamental. While at first this might seem challenging, especially for those who are newer to the field, it’s incredibly beneficial. If you’ve scribbled on a whiteboard for 5 minutes, that’s a lot easier to hear something negative about versus a polished Figma file you’ve spent a few days on with no other feedback. Simply put, the less time you’ve invested in something, the easier it is to embrace feedback and make changes.

The paradox of progress

Something else to consider is that humans are wired to spot flaws and imperfections, even when there have been significant improvements. Mark Manson’s book “Everything Is F**ked” delves into the concept of ‘negativity bias’ and how it’s deeply rooted in our evolutionary history - it’s how humans are wired. This bias also means that we actually pay more attention to the negative comments, which perhaps makes them seem more important than they really are. ‘Good design’ can also be subjective and most people have an opinion on it - more often than not they will want to express that opinion. So, when showing your work, be prepared to hear more critical feedback than praise and try not be disheartened by it; it’s not personal.

My personal journey

In my career as a Designer, I’ve definitely had moments when the criticism has been unbearable and I’ve felt like I don’t know what I am doing. However, I’ve come to understand that every critique, no matter how harsh, is a step towards improvement. Through improving the way I seek feedback, acknowledging my ‘chimp’, and recognising the human inclination towards critique over praise, I no longer dread feedback. It’s an essential component of the creative process.

By applying these strategies, hopefully you too can navigate the challenges of hearing critical feedback better and be a more resilient, creative, and effective Designer. While receiving feedback will probably never be entirely painless, it certainly doesn’t need not feel like a battleground.

Embrace feedback, learn from it, and leverage it to craft better, more user-centric designs.