Design Reviews That Don’t Kill Momentum

Design reviews shouldn't feel like walking into a firing squad. Yet most teams dread them. The problem isn't the concept—it's how we run them.

Good reviews accelerate progress. Bad ones destroy confidence and waste time. Here's how to fix yours.

Set Clear Expectations

Most disasters happen because nobody knows what they're reviewing. Are you looking at early concepts or final designs? Visual style or user flow?

Try this: Start every review with one sentence that defines focus. "Today we're reviewing the checkout flow logic before visual design" prevents getting hung up on button colors when you should be discussing user journey.

Use Plus-Delta-Next

Structure discussions around three questions:

• Plus: What's working well?

• Delta: What needs to change?

• Next: What should we tackle first?

This keeps feedback specific and actionable.

Invite the Right People Only

Every extra person multiplies complexity.

Early concepts: Designer, product manager, one key stakeholder
Detailed designs: Add developers and subject matter experts
Final review: Anyone who needs to approve or implement

Show Your Thinking

Don't just present screens—explain your reasoning. Walk through the user problem and why you made specific choices.

"I made the search bar prominent because research showed users struggled to find products" beats just showing a search bar and waiting for reactions.

Document and Follow Through

End with clear next steps. Who's doing what by when? Send a summary within 24 hours to prevent "didn't we already decide this?" conversations.