Last updated on Jul 11, 2024

You're dealing with conflicting feedback on app design. How do you navigate stakeholder opinions effectively?

Navigating conflicting feedback on your app's design can be as tricky as solving a puzzle with pieces from different boxes. When you're in the thick of app development, every opinion seems to carry weight, but they can't all fit together perfectly. The challenge lies in sifting through these diverse perspectives to find a harmonious solution that aligns with your vision and satisfies your stakeholders. Understanding how to effectively manage these varying opinions is crucial for the success of your mobile application.

1 Identify Priorities

When you're bombarded with contrasting feedback, start by identifying the priorities of your stakeholders. Understand what each person values most in the app's design, whether it's user experience, aesthetic appeal, or specific functionality. By recognizing these priorities, you can begin to discern which pieces of feedback are aligned with the core objectives of your app and which might be more subjective or less critical to the app's success.

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Abdulrahman Qabbout

Software / iOS Engineer at Eurisko | Head of Mission, Head of Fleet Tracking, Volunteer Manager, S&R Member, and Former Head of IT at Lebanese Red Cross | BS with Distinction in Computer Science | Passionate Learner
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- Summarize the main goals the clients are targeting - Try to find similarities between different goals and compare them to the app's current core objectives, and set their priority

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Dheeraj Singh Bhadoria

Assistant Consultant @ TCS | Technical Lead | Senior Android/Flutter Engineer | Android | Java | Kotlin | Flutter | Dart | Compose KMP | SME Android
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When faced with contrasting feedback, begin by identifying your stakeholders' priorities. Understand what each person values most in the app's design—whether it's user experience, aesthetic appeal, or specific functionality. By recognizing these priorities, you can determine which feedback aligns with the app's core objectives and which may be more subjective or less critical to its success. This approach helps in filtering and prioritizing feedback effectively.

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Joseph Muasya

Software Developer || Android Engineer || Mobile Expert || Kotlin Multiplatform || Android Developer
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When faced with contrasting feedback, identify why behind the feedback. Find the similarities between the feedback, and the stage at which the users are giving the contrasting feedback. Set metrics to identify whether the feedback aligns with the core functionality of the app. With the metrics, you can now make data driven decision on whether to continue satisifying the users with positive reviews, or you should also handle issues raised in the negative reviews.

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2 Organize Feedback

Once you've pinpointed stakeholder priorities, organize the feedback systematically. Create a list or chart that categorizes each piece of feedback based on its impact on user experience, technical feasibility, and alignment with your app's goals. This visual representation will help you see where there's consensus and where opinions diverge, making it easier to address the most significant issues first.

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Yawar Osman

Senior Flutter Developer | Project Manager | UI/UX | Database Designer | Medium Writer
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By systematically gathering and categorizing feedback from stakeholders, users, and team members, you can prioritize based on its impact on design goals and user experience. This structured approach ensures that all perspectives are considered, facilitating clearer communication and informed decision-making throughout the design process.

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Abdulrahman Qabbout

Software / iOS Engineer at Eurisko | Head of Mission, Head of Fleet Tracking, Volunteer Manager, S&R Member, and Former Head of IT at Lebanese Red Cross | BS with Distinction in Computer Science | Passionate Learner
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After summarising the main goals and comparing them to the app, categorize the next tasks based on feasibility, duration, dependencies, and impact.

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3 Communicate Clearly

Clear communication is essential when handling conflicting feedback. Be transparent with stakeholders about the design process and how decisions are made. Explain the rationale behind accepting certain pieces of feedback and not others. This fosters a sense of inclusion and understanding, even if not all suggestions can be implemented.

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Abdulrahman Qabbout

Software / iOS Engineer at Eurisko | Head of Mission, Head of Fleet Tracking, Volunteer Manager, S&R Member, and Former Head of IT at Lebanese Red Cross | BS with Distinction in Computer Science | Passionate Learner
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- Ask open-ended diagnostic questions, for example, instead of asking, does this design work with you? ask, how can this design adhere to your needs? - Use the Who, What, When, Where, How, and Why Practice in your questions. - Be honest about the duration and feasibility. - Give your advice as a technical person to adapt to their needs while applying best practices

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Joseph Muasya

Software Developer || Android Engineer || Mobile Expert || Kotlin Multiplatform || Android Developer
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Engage with the stakeholders, explaining how you arrived at different decisions about your designs, and request for feedback. Make it an open conversation, where all stakeholders can share their positions in the decisions they make.

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4 Balance Perspectives

Balancing perspectives is about finding a middle ground. Look for ways to integrate different viewpoints into a cohesive design that meets various needs. Sometimes, this might mean compromising or finding creative solutions that satisfy the essential requirements from each stakeholder. Remember, the goal is to create a well-rounded app that serves its users effectively.

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5 Test Iteratively

Testing your app iteratively is a practical approach to resolving conflicting feedback. Implement changes in stages and gather user data to see how each modification affects the overall experience. User testing can provide objective results that help prioritize which feedback to act on, reducing the influence of subjective opinions.

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6 Make Decisions

Ultimately, you'll need to make decisions about which feedback to incorporate into your app design. Use the insights gained from identifying priorities, organizing feedback, and testing to make informed choices. Remember that not all feedback can or should be acted upon. Trust your judgment and be prepared to defend your decisions with the data and reasoning that led you there.

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Abdulrahman Qabbout

Software / iOS Engineer at Eurisko | Head of Mission, Head of Fleet Tracking, Volunteer Manager, S&R Member, and Former Head of IT at Lebanese Red Cross | BS with Distinction in Computer Science | Passionate Learner
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To make those decisions, you have to consider the feasibility, impact, logistics, priority, and many more. The main goal should be choosing the action that targets the pre-defined goals, while feedback, key points, and your experience are pinned.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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You're dealing with conflicting feedback on app design. How do you navigate stakeholder opinions effectively?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Identify Priorities

2 Organize Feedback

3 Communicate Clearly

4 Balance Perspectives

5 Test Iteratively

6 Make Decisions

7 Here’s what else to consider

Mobile Applications

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You're dealing with conflicting feedback on app design. How do you navigate stakeholder opinions effectively?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Identify Priorities

2 Organize Feedback

3 Communicate Clearly

4 Balance Perspectives

5 Test Iteratively

6 Make Decisions

7 Here’s what else to consider

Mobile Applications

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

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