Most B2B marketers are brilliant at strategy—but when it comes to giving design feedback, things get lost in translation. The result? Frustrated designers, misaligned outputs, and time down the drain. This guide helps you give feedback your design team will actually understand—and want to act on. With real examples, stories from the trenches, and insights from running a design subscription service for dozens of SaaS and B2B marketing teams, we'll show you how to turn vague feedback into actionable direction—and better results.
Let’s be honest: Design feedback is often a mess
Here’s the scene.
You’ve got a campaign going live in 2 days.
You finally get the design back.
It’s… okay. But not quite there.
You reply with something like:
- “Can we make it pop more?”
- “Feels off-brand.”
- “Just not hitting the mark.”
And then… radio silence from your designer. Or worse: a completely different version that misses the point again.
Sound familiar? We’ve seen this play out a lot at Design Buffs—on both sides of the table. And it’s not because marketers don’t care or designers aren’t good. It’s because most feedback is vague, subjective, and based on intuition that isn’t being explained clearly.
Let’s fix that.
The #1 Rule: Feedback isn’t taste—it’s translation
Here’s a hard truth: Your personal preferences aren’t feedback.
“Make it bolder” or “I don’t like that blue” might be feelings, but they don’t help a designer understand why something isn’t working.
Instead, think of feedback as translating your marketing objectives into visual direction. You’re helping your designer understand the intent behind the piece—who it’s for, what you want them to feel, what action you want them to take.
Here’s a side-by-side:
❌ Vague Feedback✅ Clear, Actionable Feedback“It needs more energy.”“This ad is for a launch campaign. Can we use brighter colors or dynamic typography to create urgency?”“Not on brand.”“Our brand uses muted greens and serif fonts. This one feels too playful—can we revisit our style guide?”“I don’t like the layout.”“The hierarchy feels off—can we move the CTA above the fold and give the product shot more space?”
Real talk from the trenches: A Slack DM that taught me everything
A few years ago, I was managing a big content refresh project. Our internal designer had just sent through a blog graphic for a high-value post. I DM’d her:
“Hey, not loving the vibe. Can you make it feel more 'premium'?”
To her credit, she didn’t bite. She wrote back:
“Hey! What does premium mean to you? Do you mean color, typography, layout, imagery?”
Damn. That was a gut punch—in the best way. Because it made me realize how often I gave unclear feedback, expecting designers to read my mind. After that, I changed how I gave feedback: I started describing intent, not personal preference.
5 Types of Feedback Designers Actually Use (With Examples)
Let’s break it down. Here are five types of useful feedback, with real examples and how to frame them.
1. Goal-Based Feedback
Start by restating the purpose of the asset. Designers are not always looped into campaign strategy—don’t assume they know the context.
Instead of:
“This doesn’t work.”
Try:
“This landing page is meant to convert cold traffic into free trial signups. Right now, the CTA blends in—can we test a bolder color or bigger size to draw more attention?”
Tie-in:
At Design Buffs, when we onboard a client, we always ask: What’s the goal of the asset? If you’re not sharing that, you’re setting your designer up to guess—and guesswork is expensive.
2. Audience-Based Feedback
Who’s the design for? Senior IT buyers? HR managers? Growth marketers? Different audiences require different tones and visual styles.
Instead of:
“Feels too young.”
Try:
“Our target here is a CIO. Let’s avoid playful icons and lean toward more professional imagery—think clean lines, no gradients.”
Pro tip: Share past examples that worked. Screenshots > words.
3. Hierarchy + Clarity Feedback
Design is communication. If the message is lost, point to where the visual hierarchy is breaking down.
Instead of:
“It’s a bit messy.”
Try:
“The main message is getting lost—can we make the headline more prominent and reduce the visual weight of the subtext?”
At Design Buffs: We train our designers to ask: What’s the one thing the viewer needs to understand in 3 seconds? If that’s not obvious, something’s wrong.
4. Tone & Emotion Feedback
Design evokes feeling. If the feeling is wrong, that’s fair—but explain why and what you want instead.
Instead of:
“Too corporate.”
Try:
“This campaign is for a bold product launch—we want to feel confident and innovative, not buttoned-up. Can we use stronger color contrast and modern typography?”
Context: Words like “bold,” “playful,” or “edgy” mean different things to different people. Define them with examples, moodboards, or links to similar visuals.
5. Copy-Design Alignment Feedback
One of the most overlooked areas. If your copy says one thing and the design suggests another, your audience gets confused.
Instead of:
“This image feels random.”
Try:
“The copy talks about simplifying complex systems. Could we use visuals that show clarity—like diagrams or streamlined UI imagery—instead of abstract shapes?”
Bonus Tip: Give designers final copy before they start designing. Yes, we know timelines are tight. But if you want precision, this matters.
What not to do: The “Kitchen Sink” Review
There’s a tendency—especially in group settings—to list every possible tweak in one go:
- “Can we change the font?”
- “Let’s try a different color.”
- “Maybe we try a version with no image?”
- “Can we see 3 variations?”
This isn’t feedback. It’s a brainstorm. And it creates churn.
Better approach: Start with high-level alignment. Focus on what’s not working and why. Only move to tweaks once you’ve agreed on direction.
Should You Use Annotations, Loom, or Text? Depends.
Some people love Loom videos. Others prefer bullet points in Notion. Here’s our take:
FormatBest ForTipsLoomNuanced, emotional tone or walking through flowKeep it under 3 mins. Be specific.Annotated PDFs / ScreenshotsLayout, spacing, hierarchy feedbackUse arrows and comments clearly.Text (Slack, Notion, Email)Simple direction or quick roundsBullet points. Use examples. Prioritize issues.
At Design Buffs: We give clients the option to annotate directly in our project dashboard or drop a Loom if needed. Efficiency is key—but clarity wins.
Good Feedback Doesn’t Mean Positive Feedback
Your job isn’t to flatter the designer. It’s to help them hit the mark. That sometimes means being blunt. Just… be respectful.
Bad:
“This is wrong.”
Better:
“This isn’t aligned with the brief. The illustration style feels off-brand and the call-to-action gets lost—can we revisit the moodboard and reframe the hierarchy?”
Designers don’t need praise. They need direction.
The 3 Golden Rules for Feedback That Gets Results
- Be timely – Feedback delayed is feedback denied. Waiting a week derails momentum.
- Be prioritised – Not every tweak matters equally. Flag mission-critical issues first.
- Be collaborative – Frame your feedback as a shared goal, not a demand.
What great design feedback sounds like (real client example)
From a B2B SaaS client of ours:
“Hey team — love where this is headed. The goal is to convert leads from our whitepaper into a product demo, so the CTA needs to feel more action-oriented. Can we try more assertive copy and a stronger button treatment? Also, our VP of Marketing prefers visuals that reference real tech environments—less abstract art. Let me know if you need me to share examples.”
Chef’s kiss. That’s how you do it.
Wrapping it up: Better feedback, better outcomes
Giving clear, actionable feedback is a skill. And just like good design, it’s something you can train.
Your designers aren’t psychic. They’re translators of your intent. If you feed them solid strategy, clear goals, and respectful direction, they’ll create magic.
And if you ever feel like you’re drowning in revisions or stuck in the endless feedback loop… well, that’s why we built Design Buffs. Our subscription model makes working with designers feel less like managing freelancers and more like having a true creative extension of your team.
Want help streamlining your design workflow?
💬 Book a free 20-min call — We’ll walk you through how we work with B2B teams to cut feedback loops in half and deliver creative that hits first time.
Or check out our Marketing Design Services to see how we plug into your workflow.
