Process
How to give useful feedback on ad designs
Give feedback against the brief, not your taste: say what the problem is rather than prescribing a fix, group everything into one list, mark what is essential, and check every fact, price and date before you reply. One consolidated round of specific comments usually gets further than several rounds of vague ones.
Before you comment
- Re-read the brief. Judge each ad against the goal, audience and offer you agreed, not against what you would have chosen.
- View it as a customer would. On a phone, at normal size, in the feed or Story it will run in, not zoomed in on a desktop.
- Ask the three-second question. In three seconds, is it clear who it is for, what it offers and what to do next?
How to write the feedback
- Describe the problem, not the fix. "I can't read the offer on a phone" is more useful than "make the text bigger and red".
- Be specific. Point to the exact element: the headline, the price, the logo, the second image.
- Say why. "Our customers don't use that word" helps the designer solve the cause.
- Say what works. It keeps good parts safe from the next edit.
- Mark priorities. Separate must-fix errors from preferences.
- Send one consolidated list. Collect comments from everyone in your business first. Conflicting feedback sent separately causes loops.
Phrases to avoid, and what to say instead
| Instead of | Try |
|---|---|
| "Make it pop" | "The offer gets lost against the background. It needs to stand out first." |
| "I don't like it" | "It feels too formal for our customers, who are young families." |
| "Can you try something else?" | "This doesn't answer the objection about price. Can we lead with the guarantee?" |
| "Make the logo bigger" | "People won't know it's us when scrolling. Can the brand be recognisable sooner?" |
Check the facts
- Prices, dates, addresses, phone numbers and opening hours are correct.
- Every claim is true and you can back it up.
- Names and te reo Māori words are spelled correctly, with macrons where needed.
- Product details and any people or places shown match reality, especially where an image was AI-assisted.
- Logos and photos are ones you have the right to use.
New direction or revision?
A revision changes execution within the agreed idea. A new direction changes the idea. In our creative subscription, each batch includes one consolidated revision round and a new direction counts as a new concept, which is why one clear list works best. See the plans.