We've talked about getting good feedback, and how to react to the feedback you receive from different characters on your team. How you prioritize the feedback you get, however, is also very important. Here are four important things to ask your team before getting down to work. 1. Does it improve the site's usability? Sometimes we get so caught up in fleshing out corporate goals that we momentarily forget about the user. While it's important to focus on your company's overall goals, don't get focused on them to the point that it interferes with decision making. To avoid this collision of ideas, stay focused on improvements that will benefit users most. 2. Is the value in line with the work? Small wins might not be worth the effort if they won't contribute to a noticeable change in any key metrics. Along these lines, be sure to keep in check any gratuitous changes that are made simply to keep management happy, or morale may suffer. On the other hand, small wins can work as long as the team understands how they fit into the larger goal. To keep motivation high, get used to breaking down your projects into tangibles that can be tracked— money, time, and excitement. These make great guides for future feedback. 3. Can this be pushed back? If it's not apparent why a change needs to be made immediately, set it aside temporarily. Hasty decisions in the web world can take twice as long to recover from if users become accustomed to changes you pushed too quickly. The end result is likely to cause headaches from customer service issues and confusion in your company's internal development team. 4. Can the team execute on the feedback? Make sure the team has adequate time and the right skill set to work on the feedback suggestions. If any part of the project needs special attention or the assistance of a specialist, make those arrangements right away. Getting good feedback is an important part of the design process, but it's equally important to prioritize it and figure out where each suggestion fits into the overall plan. These four questions will set you on the right road and keep your team motivated along the way.
