Penultimate Week- It’s all about Feedback

So close yet so far still. I am very happy with the outcome of the app prototype so far. Still might need some tweaks and probably going to create a video version of it as Figma does not seem to allow multiple functions per action. I am learning as I am going along in fact.

Just went through the lecture content for this week, I like I always do. The theme for the upcoming couple of weeks is regarding feedback and evaluation. In this week’s lecture the various design professionals described their various experiences as well as opinions regarding clients’ feedback. As all of them have their own workflow, the opinions varied a bit, albeit they were all in the same direction. It can be said indeed that they all agree that feedback is important as it is the best way to learn were you can improve as a designer. However, the discussion did not stop there.

The Different Forms of Feedback

I liked how in the lecture the interviewees described different forms of feedback. In many instances, we tend to encapsulate everything into one word and we use it quite loosely. In the lecture, there were four major forms of feedback that were mentioned. These are:

• Positive Feedback – mentioned by Torsten Posselt, and he said that although it is good, it is not really feedback, but rather a pat on the back and people applauding you for your achievements.
• Critical Feedback – also mentioned by Posselt, along with the designers Luke Veerman and Stijn vad de Ven from Eden Spiekermann studio. This is true feedback, usually coming from the clients, or from your superior if you report to an Art Director. The is feedback that everyone fears, but it is the kind of feedback everyone needs. By no means it should be negative or destructive, however it should be honest. Which is why it is very important not to take such feedback personally but keep it to a professional level. In fact, as Posselt described correctly, some clients simply do it to see how you would react.
• Client Feedback – This is the typical feedback any designer would commonly deal with on a regular basis. All the designers in the lecture mentioned in some shape or from. Wouter Dirks from Studio Dumbar, however, differentiated it from ‘public feedback’ (which I will discuss later). Client feedback essentially is the kind of ‘constructive’ feedback a designer would get as the project progresses or after the first draft. In some instances, this is where the client would ask a lot of questions. In this kind of feedback, especially in the early stages of project development, it is common place for questions to be asked.
• Public Feedback – this last feedback was mentioned specifically by Studio Dumbar. They are a studio where they have worked with a number of public entities, therefore their work is exposed to large masses. This particular feedback needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. As he adequately puts it, we are living in an age where it is very easy for person to voice their opinions, thanks to social media. Although the public’s opinion does matter, especially in cases were the project is designed for the general public, and many instances one has to see beyond it. People fear what they do not understand, hence they would reject it.

Frequency of Feedback

From personal experience, I have learned that the best feedback is the one that come sin intervals. It is important, whenever possible to keep the client in the loop during the design process of a project. That way, you can ensure that the creative direction is the right one. In some instances, you would need your space to generate idea, however upon the first draft, it is a good time to seek some initial feedback from the client. Accept and Proceed use such methodology in their way of working and they find it to be the most effective and efficient. They work very closely with their clients, so much so that they consider their clients as ‘partners’ for that specific project.

I also think that frequent feedback is beneficial for your own development as a designer. I am not saying that you should give out forms with tick boxes and ask people to evaluate you, but rather when it comes to work, it is good to ask around for feedback from peers as well as superiors, and even subordinates at times. Asking feedback from superiors will help you in pushing yourself further in improving your own work, whilst for subordinates, it is also beneficial for them. Luke Veerman from Eden Spierkermann made a very valid point in this regard.  In many cases, designers who are starting out are very uncomfortable in showing their work-in-progress simply because they feel that their work is not up to par. However, by seeing their superiors doing the same thing, it will automatically make them feel more at ease with sharing their work.

As For this Week’s Task…

As the theme of the week suggests, this week is all about feedback. I had already gathered some initial feedback in the previous week and yesterday, I shared the link to my prototyping for public viewing. I have noticed though that some people are having issues with viewing the prototype as they are either viewing it on a phone, and in order to do so, one needs to use the Figma mirror app. It is a bit counter intuitive, being a mobile app that can be viewed on a desktop. I should probably create a questionnaire with some slides of the app just to be safe, and make it easier for users to see the app. That said, I wanted to see if the users can navigate easily through the app. Will be tweaking it a bit more and refine it to make it more presentable in the meantime also.