LinkedIn and 3rd parties use essential and non-essential cookies to provide, secure, analyze and improve our Services, and to show you relevant ads (including professional and job ads) on and off LinkedIn. Learn more in our Cookie Policy.

Select Accept to consent or Reject to decline non-essential cookies for this use. You can update your choices at any time in your settings.

Agree & Join LinkedIn

By clicking Continue to join or sign in, you agree to LinkedIn’s User Agreement, Privacy Policy, and Cookie Policy.

Skip to main content
LinkedIn
  • Articles
  • People
  • Learning
  • Jobs
  • Games
Join now Sign in
Last updated on Feb 13, 2025
  1. All
  2. Art
  3. Design

Developers are resisting design feedback. How can you break through their resistance?

When developers resist design feedback, bridging the communication gap is key. To break through their resistance, consider these strategies:

- Frame feedback as a conversation. Invite developers to discuss design choices as a collaborative effort.

- Show empathy for their perspective. Acknowledge the technical challenges they face.

- Provide specific, actionable suggestions. Avoid vague criticisms and offer clear, concise improvements.

How do you encourage a more receptive feedback culture in your team?

Design Design

Design

+ Follow
Last updated on Feb 13, 2025
  1. All
  2. Art
  3. Design

Developers are resisting design feedback. How can you break through their resistance?

When developers resist design feedback, bridging the communication gap is key. To break through their resistance, consider these strategies:

- Frame feedback as a conversation. Invite developers to discuss design choices as a collaborative effort.

- Show empathy for their perspective. Acknowledge the technical challenges they face.

- Provide specific, actionable suggestions. Avoid vague criticisms and offer clear, concise improvements.

How do you encourage a more receptive feedback culture in your team?

Add your perspective
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
86 answers
  • Contributor profile photo
    Contributor profile photo
    Aleksey Malankin

    Web master | UX/UI Designer | Frontend Developer| Golang Developer

    • Report contribution

    When developers resist making design changes, it's important to understand why. They don't have time or they misunderstand your goals. Start with a frank conversation. Explain how the change will improve the product. Don't insist on a solution. Offer alternatives, taking the developer's opinion into account. Compromise can lead to better results than rigidly imposing a concept. Create a collaborative environment where developers feel that their ideas are valued. It is important that everyone is on the same page and working to improve the product, not in conflict.

    Like
    26
  • Contributor profile photo
    Contributor profile photo
    Ammar S.
    • Report contribution

    Breaking through developers' resistance to design feedback requires a blend of empathy, collaboration, and clear communication. Start by understanding their concerns are they facing technical constraints, unclear guidelines, or simply feeling their expertise is being challenged? Frame feedback as a shared goal rather than a directive: How can we make this work within the constraints? Involve them early in the design process to build ownership and reduce friction. Use data-driven reasoning to support design decisions, making it less about opinion and more about user experience. Most importantly, foster mutual respect when designers and developers see each other as partners, resistance turns into problem-solving.

    Like
    10
  • Contributor profile photo
    Contributor profile photo
    Nabeel Nasir

    Founder @ codSeed - Built 17+ SaaS products & 15+ AI products | Product Manager | Generative AI Specialist | Building @Casus (Designed for tax law professionals)

    • Report contribution

    Creating a receptive feedback culture means making feedback a collaborative conversation. Invite developers to co-create solutions, share context on user impact, and use concrete examples to illustrate design choices. Empathize with technical challenges, encourage open dialogue, and celebrate successes together.

    Like
    5
  • Contributor profile photo
    Contributor profile photo
    Shubhi Garg

    Design Nerd & Strategy Obsessed | Founder, Design Ink | Powering Crobstacle | Brand Strategist & Graphic Designer | Driving Business Growth with Impactful Visuals

    • Report contribution

    - Align feedback with shared goals. Highlight how design enhances usability and efficiency. - Speak their language. Tie design feedback to performance, scalability, or user experience. - Involve them early. Collaboration from the start reduces friction later.

    Like
    5
  • Contributor profile photo
    Contributor profile photo
    Ashwini Yeri

    Expertise in Werum PAS-X Software | MES Designer Enthusiast

    • Report contribution

    One approach I believe would be beneficial is to "Frame feedback as a conversation." The idea is to move away from a top-down, directive style and foster an open, two-way dialogue. Instead of presenting feedback as simply identifying what’s wrong, encourage discussions about design decisions. For instance, you could ask, "What’s your take on this design choice from a technical standpoint?" or "How do you think this approach will affect the development process?" This turns feedback into a collaborative conversation rather than just a critique.

    Like
    4
  • Contributor profile photo
    Contributor profile photo
    VASIREDDY SRIMANTH

    Android & Java Full-Stack Developer 💻 | CA & Business Entrepreneur @ IIT Guwahati 🎓 | Aspiring MERN 🌐 | DSA & Spring Boot Enthusiast ⚙️ | CSE '24| Entrepreneur 🚀 | Passionate about Leadership, Innovation & Networking

    • Report contribution

    As an Android developer, I break through resistance to design feedback by framing it as a conversation, showing empathy for technical challenges, and providing specific, actionable suggestions. I encourage a receptive feedback culture by actively listening, asking questions, and clarifying design choices, fostering a collaborative environment where feedback is valued and implemented.

    Like
    4
  • Contributor profile photo
    Contributor profile photo
    陳雅妍 Amy Chan

    Senior Project Manager /建築師/專欄作家/填詞人/收納師

    • Report contribution

    To address developers' resistance to design feedback amid tight schedules, empathize with their situation and clearly communicate the rationale behind feedback. Prioritize essential changes, collaborate on solutions, and be flexible where possible. Implement changes incrementally and highlight long-term benefits. Seek executive support if needed, hold regular check-ins, and appreciate developers' efforts to build a cooperative team dynamic.

    Like
    2
  • Contributor profile photo
    Contributor profile photo
    Ricardo Chang

    Strategic Business Manager│Business Development │Sales & Commercial │ B2B & B2C │ Disruptive Innovator

    • Report contribution

    Para romper la resistencia de los desarrolladores a los comentarios sobre el diseño, es clave aplicar estrategias que fomenten la colaboración y el entendimiento: ✅ Claridad y especificidad → Explicar el impacto del diseño en la experiencia del usuario con ejemplos concretos. ✅ Enfoque en el usuario final → Relacionar el feedback con la funcionalidad y usabilidad del producto. ✅ Feedback constructivo → No solo señalar problemas, sino proponer soluciones viables. ✅ Consideración de viabilidad técnica → Adaptar sugerencias a las limitaciones del código y recursos disponibles. ✅ Capacitación en diseño centrado en el usuario → Mostrar cómo la usabilidad mejora la eficiencia del desarrollo.

    Translated
    Like
    2
  • Contributor profile photo
    Contributor profile photo
    P. Alejandra Álvarez Hernández

    DISEÑADORA UX/UI

    • Report contribution

    Conocer su lenguaje ayuda a poder comunicarse mejor con ellos y expresarse correctamente, también es bueno dar más de una opción considerando sus capacidades y tiempos. Siempre es bueno no estar cerrado y abrirse a escuchar lo que tienen que decir.

    Translated
    Like
    1
  • Contributor profile photo
    Contributor profile photo
    VALENTIN FELIPE JUSTO
    • Report contribution

    Es esos casos es emplear la comunicación efectiva y así se entiende las ideas en el contexto a debatir y se nutren los participantes de los intercambios de comunicación y conceptos que se puedas abordar

    Translated
    Like
    1
View more answers
Design Design

Design

+ Follow

Rate this article

We created this article with the help of AI. What do you think of it?
It’s great It’s not so great

Thanks for your feedback

Your feedback is private. Like or react to bring the conversation to your network.

Tell us more

Report this article

More articles on Design

No more previous content
  • You're juggling design changes and tight project deadlines. How do you ensure your priorities are on track?

    27 contributions

  • How do you prioritize design tasks when facing tight project deadlines?

    9 contributions

  • You're faced with rushed design modifications. How do you ensure quality doesn't suffer?

    21 contributions

  • You're facing stakeholder conflicts over design changes. How do you navigate the tension effectively?

    32 contributions

  • You're facing stakeholder conflicts over design changes. How do you navigate the tension effectively?

    10 contributions

  • You're pressed for time on design changes. How do you ensure the most critical ones get done?

    23 contributions

  • You're navigating diverse design preferences. How can you align stakeholders' expectations?

    18 contributions

  • How can you effectively mediate disputes between team members with opposing design visions?

    29 contributions

No more next content
See all

Explore Other Skills

  • Commercial Design
  • Commercial Interior Design
  • Animation
  • Graphic Design
  • Graphics
  • Photography

Are you sure you want to delete your contribution?

Are you sure you want to delete your reply?

  • LinkedIn © 2025
  • About
  • Accessibility
  • User Agreement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Copyright Policy
  • Brand Policy
  • Guest Controls
  • Community Guidelines
Like
20
86 Contributions