How to Review and Approve Design Mockups
Reviewing design mockups is a critical moment in the project — your feedback shapes what gets built. How you review and communicate feedback determines whether the project moves forward efficiently or gets stuck in revision loops. This article helps you give effective design feedback.
Before You Review
- Review designs in the context they were created for — view mobile designs on a mobile device, desktop designs on a desktop screen
- Reference the agreed user personas and user stories: does this design serve them well?
- Allow sufficient time — rushed reviews lead to missed issues that are expensive to fix later
What to Focus On
- Does it solve the user problem? Can a user achieve their goal with this design?
- Is content accurate? Labels, headings, and placeholder text should reflect real content, not Lorem Ipsum at review stage
- Is the hierarchy correct? Is the most important content most prominent?
- Does it match your brand? Colours, typography, and tone should be on-brand
How to Give Feedback
- Be specific: "The 'Submit' button is too small on mobile" rather than "The buttons need work"
- Explain the why: "The CTA needs to be more prominent because it's the primary action on this page"
- Use the Figma comment tool to pin feedback to the specific element
- Consolidate feedback from all stakeholders before sending — avoid sending multiple rounds of separate feedback