Removing the Subjectivity in Design Reviews

Back to Basics—The Elements of Good Design

Any well-trained designer knows the basics of good design and draws upon the fundamentals of line, shape, color, value, form, and space. Years of color theory, typography,  2-dimensional and 3-dimensional design have armed designers with the tools to produce engaging, thoughtful and aesthetically pleasing visual designs. Throw in some psychology, persona understanding, problem-solving and empathy, and you have the elements of great UX design. 

Good Design is 95% Objective

Not only do good designers know how to produce quality work, but they know how to defend it. Every element is deliberate, every choice has a purposeful result, every decision can be supported by a resounding conclusion. Hours of studio class critiques, where designers were forced to face fellow student’s probing questions and explain why they chose an asymmetrical layout or simpler navigation, results in designers who are conscious of their choices and confident in their work.  Their designs are not subjective, based on emotions, but are grounded in the fundamental elements of proven design principles—designs that can be justified and demonstrated successful.

Designer = Communicator + Interpreter

Either as Designer, Creative Director or Project Leader, clearly communicating these design principles to the client in Design Reviews is paramount and removes the subjectivity that often dominates the conversation.  Explaining to the client WHY a particular element was chosen, or WHAT was discovered through user testing and HOW it is being delivered to the user, helps to educate the client and validate the design. Design Reviews are more than just reviewing the design—they are the time to revisit the overall project objectives and evaluate if they are being met through aesthetics and functionality. 

While it’s an ego boost to have a client proclaim “I love it!” when first presented with a design, it gives no further information to the team.  Trying to understand why a client likes a design is often more perplexing than understanding why a client doesn’t like a design. Why do they love it? Is the color attracting them, the uses of negative space, or the imagery that was chosen? Designers must often act as investigators, listening to the client’s comments and interpreting their meanings beyond words. Asking questions that focus more on the objective measurements can lead the clients to give better feedback.  Is this design reflecting the proper brand standards and is it appropriate for your audience? Is the message clear and easy to understand? Is the functionality intuitive? Does it address the problems as outlined in the project goals? Focusing on the principles of what makes up good design, instead of the emotion of the reactions, will lead to happier clients and better products.

To err is human; to have an opinion is a human’s err

If 95% of good design is objective, what about the other 5% of the design? Perhaps a client rejects a design because the primary color is red and he/she abhors red. This doesn’t seem logical, as red is their brand color, and user testing has shown that red performed much higher than other colors. No matter how hard you try to keep a design review objective, personal opinions will always sneak into the conversation.  It’s human nature to insert our own personal opinions into the narrative—to make sure our voice is heard and appreciated. This was never so true as it is in design. But, listening and communicating with your clients, investigating where their emotional reactions stem from, can go a long way in turning emotional reactions into working solutions. And sometimes, solutions involve accepting that some people just dislike the color red.