Ever had a project where everyone agrees on the brief… until they see the first design? Suddenly everyone has an opinion, and the project that should have taken two rounds of feedback starts becoming six.

It’s easy to blame the creative team when this happens, but often, the real problem starts much earlier. The decision-making process hasn’t been defined.

If I were looking at a project that’s getting stuck in feedback, here’s where I’d start.

Firstly, look at who is actually making the decision. Not who is giving an opinion. Who has the authority to say yes?

Secondly, look at the brief. Does it contain clear criteria for making the decision, or is everyone judging the work based on personal preference?

And finally, look at the feedback itself. Are people responding to the agreed objective, or are new ideas and requirements appearing once they see the creative?

There’s a simple test I use. Take your latest round of feedback and ask:

“Could we have known this before the design was created?”

If the answer is yes, that’s probably not a design issue – It’s a process issue.

Good creative needs room to breathe, but good creative processes need enough structure to stop every opinion becoming another direction. And sometimes the most valuable thing you can bring to a creative project isn’t another idea – It’s a clear decision.

See you next time for Squark Design’s Branding Bites.