I finally fixed my client feedback loop with a simple 3 question form

Honestly, for like a year I was drowning in endless email chains with clients about logo revisions. Every change request was super vague like 'make it pop' or 'try something different.' So about 2 months ago I started sending a quick Google Form with just 3 specific questions before every round of edits. Questions like 'rate the current layout from 1 to 5' and 'what exact element needs changing.' Ngl it cut our revision cycles from an average of 7 rounds down to 3 per project. The clients actually seem happier too because they think more before replying. Has anyone else tried a structured feedback system that actually works?

2 comments

2 Comments

adamcoleman12d ago

Respectfully I gotta push back on this a bit. The forms sound like a bandaid for a bigger problem which is clients not knowing what they want in the first place. Three questions might work for now but you're just training them to be better at filling out forms, not actually teaching them how to communicate about design. Once they figure out the form they'll still be vague, just in a different format. I've seen this happen with friends who tried similar systems and eventually the clients just started writing "needs more energy" in the free text box anyway. Might be better to just have a real conversation instead of hiding behind a survey.

jade61812d ago

Gotta disagree with you here @adamcoleman. I think the forms actually do something different than what you're describing. They're not trying to teach clients to be better communicators, they're trying to get past the "needs more energy" stuff before it even hits the designers desk. The whole point is to filter out that fluffy language before it becomes a problem, not after. I've seen plenty of conversations that just end up going in circles because the client is still figuring out what they want while talking, and that wastes everyone's time. A form forces them to sit still and think for a second before typing something like that. Sure some clients will still write vague stuff, but at least with a form you've got a record of exactly what they said so you can point back to it later if they change their mind.