The Feedback Fix: How to Give Creative Direction That Actually Works

You hired an agency to elevate your brand. They send you a design, a video concept, or a new ad copy, and your gut reaction is: "I don't like it."

The problem? That sentence is the fastest way to derail a project, waste time, and burn through your budget.

When you hire a professional creative team, you are hiring people who can execute any vision—but only if you provide clear direction. A great creative can’t read your mind; they need a roadmap. Here is your guide to giving feedback that gets your agency (and your project) across the finish line, quickly and successfully.

Rule 1: Ban the Vague Veto

Feedback like "I don't like it," "Let's start over," or "It needs more pizzazz" is useless because it’s subjective and offers no path forward.

Your creative team needs to know the root cause of the issue. When you feel that gut negative reaction, pause and ask yourself:

• What is the objective reason this isn't working?

• What is the specific element I need to change?

This simple mental shift turns a dead-end statement into actionable direction.

Rule 2: Speak the Language of Design, Not Emotion

Break down your feedback into concrete, objective elements. Instead of saying how you feel about the design, describe what needs to change in the execution.

Instead of Saying...	Try Saying...
"It feels too corporate."	"Can we warm up the color palette?"
"The ad is boring."	"The first two seconds of the video need to be faster."
"I don't love the font."	"The font is too modern. Can we try a serif font?"

Rule 3: Frame Feedback with Goals, Not Just Preferences

The most effective feedback reconnects the creative work back to the project's original goals. Everything you build is a tool designed to achieve a specific outcome.

When reviewing a piece of creative, ask: "Does this help us achieve [Goal]?"

• If the goal is to target young founders, you might say: "I feel the tone of voice is too formal here. Can we match the witty, casual tone we defined for our target audience?"

• If the goal is to look like a premium luxury brand, you might say: "The imagery feels too bright. Can we adjust the photography to a darker, moodier style?"

Rule 4: Consolidate and Centralize

A fragmented feedback process is a slow one. Nothing slows a project down faster than scattered feedback across three different emails and a text message.

• Appoint One Stakeholder: Designate one person as the final decision-maker for feedback.

• Centralize the Notes: Use a single, shared document or project management tool (like Monday.com) for all comments. Collect all notes internally first, and then deliver them to your agency partner in one clean, numbered list.

The Takeaway

Creatives are experts at execution. Their ability to deliver your vision isn't limited by talent; it's limited by the clarity of the instructions they receive.

By moving past the subjective "I don't like it" and giving specific, goal-oriented direction, you empower your agency to deliver exactly what you want, faster, and with fewer rounds of revision. When you master the art of creative feedback, the quality of your output will soar.