Dopp Juice Archive

I often turn to my friends and family for feedback on the websites I build. They care about me and usually want to know what projects I’m working on. Why not tap into that interest to help improve my projects with real opinions from the outside world? The exchange usually goes like this: I’ll send out emails to a few people, explaining why the website is important and asking for their opinions on it. After a few days, I’ll receive one of two responses:

1. “Looks great!”
2. Silence.

This isn’t helpful, and it happens all too often in our culture. People don’t trust their own opinions. They either offer a vague pat on the back, or they avoid the interaction altogether. Most people are afraid of two things: they don’t want to offend, and they don’t want to look foolish. In other words, they’d rather keep their opinions to themselves. In this situation, I would love to hear any of these responses:

• I like the design, but when I read I keep getting distracted by the logo. Maybe it’s too bright.
• It’s really easy to navigate.
• The text is too small. It makes me not want to read it.
• I think it could use more color.
• Are there supposed to be more articles? The reference to articles at the bottom of the page made me expect more than I found.
• It’s pretty and easy to use. I understand everything on it. I can’t see anything that needs improvement.
• Woah. This is really confusing. I don’t even know where to click or what I’d be looking for.
• I found a link that doesn’t work. It’s in the last sentence on the “About” page.
• The content looks really helpful. I’m going to tell my gardening club friends about it. I think they’ll like the pesticide tips. Maybe you should make those easier to find, rather than buried at the bottom of the “About Plants” page.

Okay, I’m starting to ramble, but I hope you get my point. When I ask friends to review my work, I want to know how it impacts them. As unique people. They are human. Their opinions matter.When someone asks you for feedback, think out loud for them. Yes, they want to hear what they did well, but they also want to know where things can be improved. Be specific. Your opinion is valuable, even when it’s simply “I don’t get it.” Your friend will thank you. Thank you, friends.