What “Make It Pop” Is Really Telling Your Designer

“Make it pop.” “It needs more energy.” “Something isn’t quite right.” These comments usually express a real concern. The difficulty is that they leave the designer to work out what that concern actually is.

In a hypothetical review, one person might want a stronger headline while another wants warmer imagery. Both might ask for more impact. Good design feedback makes those differences visible before another round of work begins.

Describe the problem you can see

Start with what is difficult to understand, notice or believe. Perhaps the recommendation is hard to find. Perhaps the image feels inappropriate for the audience. Perhaps the chart needs too much explanation.

“The main recommendation disappears among the supporting points” gives a designer something useful to solve. “Make the heading red” jumps straight to a possible solution. You can suggest an approach, but explain the concern behind it so other options remain available.

Bring the discussion back to the audience

A review can drift into personal preferences very quickly. One person likes minimal layouts. Another wants everything visible at once. Neither preference settles what the audience needs.

Ask who will use the material, in what situation and for what purpose. A leadership paper and a conference screen call for different decisions. My article on simplifying complex information through design explores why that audience context matters before visual choices are made.

Separate requirements from suggestions

Some feedback concerns a factual correction, an agreed brand requirement or a missing piece of content. Other feedback is exploratory. Treating every comment as equally mandatory makes it difficult to prioritise.

Label what must change and explain why. Then distinguish questions, preferences and ideas worth testing. If a reviewer suggests adding a photograph, clarify whether the requirement is to show a specific person or simply to make the page feel more approachable. Those are different briefs.

Resolve conflicting comments together

Imagine one reviewer asks for a shorter introduction while another requests more background. Passing both instructions to the designer without discussion transfers an unresolved decision rather than providing direction.

Agree who owns the final decision and bring related comments together. Refer back to the purpose of the piece, then decide what belongs in the main narrative and what can sit elsewhere. A consolidated response is easier to act on than several disconnected documents.

Be specific about what is already working

Positive feedback is useful when it identifies something to preserve. “The opening makes the problem clear” is more informative than “Looks good”. It tells the designer which part of the communication is effective.

The same applies to a chart, a page sequence or an image treatment. Explain why it works for the audience. You can see different applications of structure and hierarchy across my selected design projects; each needs to be assessed against its own purpose.

End the review with a clear next step

Before closing the discussion, confirm the priority changes, who will supply missing information and who will approve the next version. Make it clear whether the next round is for exploring ideas or checking final details.

Thoughtful feedback gives a project direction and helps people make decisions together. If your team needs design support with a clear, collaborative process, tell me about your project. A useful conversation starts with the outcome you need.