Accepting design feedback from your clients can be difficult. Before you learn how to deal with the feedback (a good topic for a future quick tip…), you need to understand it first.

If you work with clients from around the world, you may realize that their design feedback is actually a cultural thing.

Most of my clients from the USA and Canada almost never give me negative feedback. I have learned that the worst they can say is, “I’m not a big fan of it,” or “I’m not sure if I like it.” They also may sound like they are overreacting when conveying their excitement about something they simply like.

Some of my clients from Europe, on the other hand, are more direct if they don’t like something. They also don’t seem to get super-excited about something they DO like. It doesn’t, however, mean that they hate my design. This is just the way they express their feelings. It’s a cultural thing.

Keep that in mind, so you can calibrate your responses accordingly.