Being a Content Designer Improved How I Give (And Receive) Feedback

Critique, both giving it and receiving it, is just like every other skill: it requires practice, persistence, and patience. Here's my take 👇

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We’re writers. Of course we take every piece of criticism to heart. Of course every negative word wounds us deeply, profoundly, with a pain bordering on the physical. Hyperbole? Only barely. The question I want to explore today though, is: does it have to be this way?

Content Design Critique, or content crit more colloquially, is an idea we Content Designers “borrowed” from our Product Designer friends. In Canva, it’s in the form of a weekly hour-long discussion with fellow Content Designers where we present our work and the rationale behind it, and solicit feedback from our peers. Every Content Designer is not just encouraged, but required to participate, and names will be (very gently, and with empathy) shamed if someone goes too long without making an appearance on the roster.

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But it’s not unique to Canva. Content crit has been a staple of my corporate career since my very first role as a content writer for AGL Energy, an Australian utilities company. Since then, that initial bolt of anxiety when I receive critical feedback on my writing has dulled, and I’ve become a better, more well-rounded writer as a result. Don’t get me wrong, it does still sting a little bit — I don’t think that’s ever going away — but I’ve learned to receive feedback with an open mind, and to recognise it for what it is: an honest attempt by a peer to help me improve.

It’s this kind of approach to writing (iterative, with consistent feedback from those whose opinions you value) that has improved not just my writing itself, but my entire mindset towards writing. It’s been a long journey, and while I’m not the perfect content crit participant, I’ve learned some things that I’d love to share with you today.

I’ve sorted them into two broad categories: how to receive feedback well, and how to provide feedback well.

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Accepting feedback with grace

Accepting feedback is a skill, just like everything else we do. It takes time, and conscious practice, to get better at it. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I do hope that these few points will help as a starting point.

It’s never personal (even when it is)

This is the golden rule, and also the hardest one to master. It doesn’t matter how the feedback is provided, or what’s said. It’s simply never personal, even if they explicitly say that it is (and if they do, first of all, rude). Ultimately, this point is not about the feedback itself, it’s about how you perceive it. By practicing this skill, you’ll become far better at parsing the good feedback from bad, because you’ll be able to approach it with a more analytical mindset.

Guided feedback is always more effective

While announcing open season on your piece of work will likely net some interesting insights, it’s far more effective to be more specific about what you’re after. If you’re unsure about the pacing of your story, ask for feedback on that. Not only will you be far more receptive to it, but you’ll also find it far more actionable. Some conversation starters:

• I’m not sure that my character’s motives are believable. What do you think?

• Does the plot and pace make sense in the first few chapters?

• Do you think I should dial up or down the humour in this section?

Assess, then apply

Just because someone provided feedback, doesn’t mean it’s correct. Ultimately, you have more context than they do, so if someone’s feedback just doesn’t make sense, ignore it and move on. However, do this after you’ve given yourself some time to assess and digest it. Think about the following:

• Did I give myself enough time to unpack the feedback before addressing it?

• Did they respond to my feedback requests specifically, or did they go off-script?

• Did they fully understand the nuance of what I’m trying to say in this section?

Providing feedback with care

Accepting feedback well is not the sole responsibility of the writer receiving it. Learning how to give constructive feedback is also a skill, and one that I’ve had to put a lot of effort into learning. Here are a few key things worth remembering:

Critique the writing, not the writer

This one is really important. When you’re providing feedback during a content crit, always remember that it’s not about the writer. Their skill and experience shouldn’t be called into question (not in a public forum at least — that’s a discussion between them and their manager). The only thing being critiqued is words on a page, nothing more.

Specific over general

If you’re going to provide critique, you owe it to the author to offer specific, concrete examples, so they know exactly what they need to work on and improve. Sometimes, we can feel like we’re protecting a writer’s feelings by keeping things high level and not providing examples, but this confuses the writer, and we writers are confused enough as it is. Some prompts to get you started:

• There’s a section here that I think is a bit slow, and doesn’t match the pace of the rest of your story.

• I don’t know if this chapter is necessary - it introduces a character who never makes another appearance again.

• I think you should introduce a bit more conflict to your story and really make your protagonist struggle.

Call out the good stuff

At the end of the day, we’re all sensitive souls who got into the arts because we thought baring our souls repeatedly and without recompense would be a great way to make a living. With that in mind, if something about the work stood out as exemplary or worthy of praise, please mention it. And honestly, even if there isn’t anything, a little white lie never hurt anybody.

Suggest improvements

If you can think of a better way to word something, suggest it! This is the ‘constructive’ in constructive criticism. What better way to be constructive than to lay the first brick? Note: the word ‘suggest’ is key here. This is not the place to tell someone what to do. This is the place to provide ideas and suggestions for direction.

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Critiquing is hard work, and it can sometimes feel frustrating, even invalidating, when either party refuses to engage with a good-faith attempt to provide or receive it. However, in those instances it’s best to simply disengage and move on. Save yourself the headache and find someone who’s more willing to collaborate.

Until next time, have a good one!