How to give great feedback
When you work with us at Luminate, our process almost always follows the same trajectory — regardless of the size of the project.
We first talk about what you want to see in the copy (and design, if that’s part of it). Then we take that away to do research and interviews, and write a first draft.
Now that draft is sitting in your inbox.
Our goal is for you to feel that your copy is perfect in the fewest number of rounds! To make that happen, here are a few tips to make the review process easy for everyone.
Check the facts
You’re the subject matter expert, so check that everything we wrote is factually correct and accurately reflects your organization.
Are the technical and factual details accurate?
Are the stats and data correct (and did we interpret them correctly)?
Did we miss any ‘must-haves’?
Address all notes left for you
Sometimes we leave comments in the draft to ask a question or explain a statement. Responding to all comments, even if it’s just with a thumbs up or an ‘I don’t know’, lets us know that you’ve seen it. And, if your answer is ‘I don’t know’ — don’t worry, we can rewrite the sentence or section to work with that.
Focus on the problem, not the solution
If the style or tone in a sentence, paragraph, or entire section doesn’t feel right, tell us why it feels off rather than taking the time to rewrite it. This will save you time. If we have questions when we see your comments, we’ll ask!
Use the suggesting and comments tools
Please use the suggesting tool (Google docs) or reviewing tool (Microsoft Word) to make word and sentence changes and the comments tool to leave your thoughts. We don’t want to miss anything and this makes it easier for us to see all of the feedback. Using a version-controlled document also helps all of us keep track of who said what and when.
Consolidate your notes
If multiple internal stakeholders need to review the content, consolidate all notes into one document before sending it back. This avoids conflicting edits and version confusion and speeds up the process of completing the next draft. As well, if two people on your team disagree, it helps if you come to an agreement before providing your notes.
Be direct
We have thick skin! If the direction, style, tone, or anything else isn’t working for you, the first draft is the time to tell us. It’s better to pivot now than to try to tweak content you only sort-of like when we’re further down the road (and closer to the final deadline!).
Stay on schedule
If we’re working toward a hard final deadline (such as an AGM for your impactful annual report), feedback timelines need to be followed. Final deadlines are not guaranteed if milestone dates are missed.
At the end of the day, we have one goal in mind: to make your life easier and your message clearer.