It's not about us
To begin with, it's a good idea to remember that how you or I feel about the website visually doesn't necessarily have any value in itself. The most important thing is that it lives up to its purpose and that it appeals to the target group that will actually use the website.
Lessons learned from over 100 projects
We're not perfect, we're not going to get everything right on the first try, although we often do just that. Below you'll find an overview of some of the lessons we've learned, combined with a fantastic list from author Paul Jarvis.
Constructive feedback
- Be honest and direct. If there's something you don't like, we need to know today, not in 3 weeks.
- Be specific. Tell us exactly what it is you don't like and why it doesn't work for you.
- Ask why. If you're just unsure why something is fixed one way, never hesitate to ask why. Often there is a good reason.
- Refer to the goal. Refer to the goal and what you want to achieve with each feedback.
- Put yourself in your audience's shoes. Every piece of feedback should be given from your audience's perspective. What do they want?
Not quite as constructive feedback
Simply bad strategies that don't help the project.
- Include "everything and everyone" in the process. It's best if one person holds the reins and is the expert who knows your company and your target audience. A committee rarely makes good websites.
- Take things personally. If we've done something you don't like, we need to discuss it to come up with a solution. If we disagree, it's because we relate to your goals and target audience.
- Do the work for us. We want good written or verbal feedback. If you start designing things, the result is often a mess.
- Determine solutions. You pay us to come up with solutions. Explain the problem and what's wrong, and we'll make suggestions based on research, experience and knowledge.
A good partner says no
Economist John Kenneth Galbraith once received a call from the President of the United States. At the time, this was Lyndon Johnson.
His housekeeper, Emily, picked up the phone and said that he did not want to be disturbed at the moment. The President demanded to speak to John Kenneth immediately, but Emily was adamant and replied: "No, Mr. President. I work for him, not you."
When Galbraith called back, the president told him that he wanted to hire Emily.
The fact is that a good partner says no, and so do we. If you ask for something that won't work based on what you want to achieve, we say no.