Articulating Design Decisions

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The Ideal Response: Getting Agreement

Unless both sides win, no agreement can be permanent.

JIMMY CARTER

WE’VE NOW COVERED SEVERAL tactics for forming your response as well as some of the most common ways that we can respond to design feedback. If we combine all of these practices together, we can see how this will form the basis for a standard response to stakeholders that establishes a formula for success.

Every response to design feedback needs to hit on a number of areas if it’s going to have the kind of weight it needs to be compelling and convincing. For UX discussions, I have a useful formula to help make our case to stakeholders. This is the IDEAL Response:

Identify the problem

We must always remain focused and ensure that our stakeholders are aware of the problem we’re addressing; otherwise, the conversation can quickly become counterproductive. Very briefly state the problem that your design addresses for the purpose of getting everyone on the same page.

Describe your solution

This is where your specific design can be connected to the problem that you’re trying to solve. Make a clear connection between what you did and how it addresses the issue. Without a clear solution, the design is useless and ineffective.

Empathize with the user

Stakeholders can forget about the people at the other end of our products. Our job is to represent them, to feel so burdened for them that ...