Working in a creative industry can be a very tricky business, the super ideas you think will fly, can be rubbished and ripped apart right in front of you.
Getting feedback on your work is the only way to grow and improve. It compels you to justify your thinking and creative ideas, and also teaches you to be humble, because we consider our ideas and creations (for designers) as an extension of ourselves, this means, negative feedbacks are taken personally.
Anyway, since I can’t offer permanent thick skins, here are 4 ways to take feedbacks won’t leave you totally heartbroken.
1. Never ask for answers
When the feedback process pokes massive holes in your idea or creation, it can be tempting to simply ask for a clear direction or solution to the problem. The offside to this is, a quick solution will not push you to explore different angles and possibilities. Coming up with a solution will offer you an opportunity to learn new things and develop your skills.
2. Be Cool Calm and Collected
When you get negative feedbacks, most time, we are always tempted to hang on every negative word and gesture. But, it is advisable to always take your emotions out of the equation, look for unprejudiced points that will help you better refine and execute your idea or creation.
3. Introduce Constraints
Some feedback can be very unhelpful, offering very shallow insight, like “Hmm I don’t think I like this”- no way to develop and improve on this. As an alternative, you can ask the person giving the feedback to be more constructive, give their reasons, ask many questions as they’d like, rather than give you a direct response.
4. Be an outside man
Instead of putting yourself on the receiving end, collaborate and get involved in the process. Imagine the work under review is not yours, be one of the judges and be honest about it. This will help you stay focused all through the process. Plus, by making the feedback process more of a collaborative push, you will understand the idea from new angles and make it better together.
Negative feedback can be very hurtful, but with a positive mindset and approach, you can come out with a clearer idea and workable solutions.