How to give better design feedback (without killing creativity)

Good design is a collaborative effort. But too often, the feedback process turns into a frustrating cycle of vague comments, unnecessary revisions, and lost creative momentum. Founders and product managers play an essential role in shaping a product’s design, but the way they give feedback can either lead to great work or create frustration and lesser results.

So, how do you offer design feedback that leads to better results—without frustrating your designers or shutting down their creativity? Here’s a framework to make your feedback process more effective and productive.

1. Focus on the goal, not your personal taste

Bad feedback: “I don’t like this.”

Good feedback: “This needs to make the user feel more confident in their choice. Right now, it’s a bit overwhelming.”

Your personal taste isn’t the priority—your users’ needs and business goals are. Before giving feedback, align on what success looks like. Are you trying to improve retention? Are you ironing out an issue that’s hurting conversions? Make sure your feedback ties back to your objective.

A better way to approach this is by asking: What do we want users to feel, understand, or do here? If a design doesn’t achieve that goal, articulate why. For instance, if a onboarding process feels confusing, say, “I'm afraid users might hesitate at this step because the form looks too complex. Can we make the key actions clearer?” This way, you’re guiding the conversation toward a solution rather than expressing personal preference.

2. Be specific, not prescriptive

Bad feedback: “Make this button blue.”

Good feedback: “The call-to-action isn’t standing out. At first glance, I almost missed it. Can we explore ways to make it more visible?”

Designers are problem solvers. Instead of dictating solutions, describe the problem. If something isn’t working, explain why. This gives designers the freedom to come up with solutions that fit within the overall design system. It also leverages their expertise.

Prescriptive feedback—like insisting on a color change—can lead to bandaid fixes rather than thoughtful solutions. Instead, try explaining the issue: “I’m worried users won’t know where to click next. How can we make this action more obvious?” This invites collaboration rather than micromanagement.

3. Ask questions instead of assuming the worst

Bad feedback: “This feels off… maybe make it more intuitive?”

Good feedback: “What was the reasoning behind this layout? I expected something more structured—can you walk me through your thought process?”

Designers make intentional choices. If something doesn’t make sense to you, ask about it before dismissing it. You might discover there’s a good reason for the decision, or you might help uncover an area that needs improvement.

For example, instead of saying, “This animation seems unnecessary,” ask, “How does this animation help the user?” Maybe it provides essential feedback for an interaction, or maybe it is indeed extra fluff. The idea here is to approach feedback with curiosity rather than immediate critique.

4. Separate problems from personal preferences

Bad feedback: “I just don’t like this shade of blue.”

Good feedback: “Does this color choice align with our brand identity?”

It’s easy to give feedback based on personal preference, but that can derail good design work. Instead, focus on whether the design serves its purpose effectively. A design decision should be judged by how well it meets user needs and business objectives—not whether it matches someone’s personal taste.

To avoid this, whenever you feel tempted to say, “I don’t like…” reframe it as, “Does this align with our brand goals?”or “Would this be clear to our target audience?” This shift keeps the conversation grounded in strategy rather than subjective taste.

5. Give feedback at the right time

Bad feedback: Jumping into Figma and dropping comments on work in progress without asking (i.e., micromanaging early explorations).

Good feedback: Reviewing work when asked or agreed upon.

The feedback you give should match the stage of the design process. Early on, focus on high-level concepts and structure. Later, get into the details. Giving overly detailed feedback too soon can slow progress and stifle creative exploration.

For instance, if you’re looking at an early wireframe, feedback should be about layout and information hierarchy, not button colors or font choices. Save those details for later iterations.

6. Prioritize your feedback

Bad feedback: Pointing out every minor issue at once.

Good feedback: Focusing on key issues and trusting your designer to iron out the small stuff.

Not all feedback carries equal weight. If everything is a priority, nothing is. Highlight the most important issues first and let designers tackle them in a structured way. Designers naturally improve other elements as they iterate. If some small things are still off, do another round of feedback focusing on polish.

A helpful approach is the MVP rule: prioritize what affects usability and clarity first, then move on to aesthetics.

7. Frame your feedback as a path to improvement

Bad feedback: “This doesn’t work at all.”

Good feedback: “I see what you’re going for, but I think it could be clearer. How can we refine this to make it more intuitive?”

Negative feedback can be discouraging if not framed constructively. Instead of just pointing out flaws, position your feedback as a way to make the design better together. Collaborating as equals leads to stronger outcomes and better team morale.

8. Avoid vague feedback

Bad feedback: “Not a fan of this. Can we try something else?”

Good feedback: “Right now our dashboard is too cluttered, making it hard to find key actions. Can we simplify the hierarchy and make sure primary actions are more prominent?”

Leaving feedback too open-ended forces designers to guess what you want, which leads to frustration and wasted time. Instead, provide clear direction with references, adjectives, and examples.

If you struggle to articulate what you’re looking for, try gathering inspiration from competitors, mood boards, or existing brand assets. This gives designers a concrete starting point.

Final thoughts

Great design feedback isn’t about telling designers what to do—it’s about giving them the right constraints, challenges, and insights to do their best work. When feedback is clear, strategic, and constructive, it leads to stronger collaboration, better design decisions, and ultimately, a better product.

Next time you’re reviewing a design, ask yourself: Am I guiding the process, or am I getting in the way? The best founders and product managers know the difference, and their designers love them for it.