How to deliver creative feedback that gets the most from your team.
Successful creatives are sensitive souls who yearn to get their work out in the world, yet putting their work out into the world opens them up to criticism, which in turn hurts their sensitive souls. It’s the dark truth we rarely talk about, and it’s something creative directors need to remember before each critique they give. Here are some tips on providing good creative feedback without crushing their spirit.
1. Start with the good.
This is a no-brainer, and it’s usually not a stretch to say something positive like, “you’ve really put in a lot of work into this,” or “you have the kernel of a great idea there.” Acknowledging the good helps put folks at ease. Just make sure you’re being authentic. Your people will catch the slightest whiff of insincerity right away.
2. Have them talk about their work first.
When delivering creative feedback, have each team give a short synopsis of their concepts, what they hope to achieve, and how they got there. Doesn’t it make sense to know what the creatives are trying to convey before you comment on it? Not only does this set the stage for real dialogue and collaboration, but it provides a clearer picture of what may need tweaking. Often your creatives will know they aren’t 100% there, and if you’ve earned their trust, they will solicit your suggestions and advice first.
3. Be honest, but benevolent.
I once observed a critique where a creative director pointed to a concept and said, “The energy and movement in the photo is nice, but that’s about all. I’d like to see something like that, but good.” Not exactly the best way to encourage your team to take creative risks.
Delivering a humane, helpful critique is infinitely harder than blurting out the first thought that pops into your brain. Still, you’re there to help make the work better. If you’re not getting the concept right away, that’s important for the team to know. If something is excellent, but doesn’t track back to the creative brief, you need to talk about that, too. Just choose your words wisely and don’t be snarky.
4. Be specific.
Saying, “Meh, it’s just not working for me” is not helpful, and “I’m just not loving it” is equally maddening. Good creative feedback is clear, concrete, and actionable: What isn’t working, the messaging hierarchy? Is there a disconnect between the copy and design that makes the concept unsuccessful? Do your eyes not know where to go? Does it feel incomplete?
If you can’t put your finger on what’s not working right away, then say so. (See #5)
5. Embrace the silence.
Is there anything more awkward than a room full of silent writers, designers, and managers? Of course there is: A room full of unimpressed clients. This is why we endure giving and receiving feedback, to make our work better so that doesn’t happen.
That said, we shouldn’t always think out loud, so if you need to reflect for a moment, go ahead and take a moment. It may help ease any tension if you say, “I need a minute to think,” or, “I have about thirty thoughts bouncing around in my head right now, give me a second.” It’s OK to take a pause.
6. Don’t be prescriptive just yet.
Very few first-round concepts make it to the pitch without changes, and your team knows that. If you’ve identified what’s not working during critique, give your team the first crack at finding a solution. If they come back to you and are still floundering or perplexed, go ahead and uncap your magic Sharpie and start drawing arrows. Otherwise, let them work the problem.
7. Help them get out of their own way.
It’s hard to see the flaws in our work. It’s equally difficult to appreciate our strengths. I was once giving feedback to a team on a print ad for a well-known moped/scooter. The target audience was women aged 25-40. The team presented their concept: A shot of a gleaming black scooter paired with the headline, “Meet the new little black dress.” Snuggled next to the headline was an illustration of an actual little black dress. When I asked the writer and designer why they’d included that, they confessed they were afraid the consumer wouldn’t get it. It was only when I covered the illustration with my hand that they realized how good it was without it.
Sometimes creatives simply need us to show them how remarkable their work is.
8. Don’t be afraid to start over or request a few new concepts.
If you’re not there, then you’re not there. Be honest about it. Go back to the creative brief. Are there any insights you missed? Any big ideas you failed to see? Encourage the team to work on roughs for the next round to save effort. Urge them to play with new ideas while you try to buy a little extra time from the client.
Don’t shout, intimidate, or throw a chair: Generating new creative is hard work that uses every part of the brain, and it rarely grows in fear-drenched soil.
9. Personal taste is just that. Personal.
Green isn’t your favorite color? Too bad. The image of a bicycle brings up traumatic memories of the knee you scraped in the fifth grade? I feel you. But unless your emotional response has real bearing on the creative—green is off-brand or the bicycle makes no sense in an ad about dog food—then zip it.
Do you have any tips on how to give creative feedback that doesn’t grind writers and designers down to a stump? Drop a comment below!
