The feedback trap: How groupthink kills web designs

I've spent over 20 years in the web design industry, and last 15 years building a digital agency give.ee. I am confident that user feedback is crucial. But it's also risky. Particularly when it comes from internal teams.

Imagine This Scenario

Have you heard that Elon Musk asks people to leave meetings if they're not actively contributing? It sounds harsh, but he is a business man who likes effeciency.

Picture a typical scenario: You're presenting a new website design in a meeting with your startup’s leadership team. Two things usually happen:

1. The CEO or a strong authority immediately nods, and suddenly everyone is enthusiastically on board: "Hell yeah, we're gonna make it!".
2. Or they ask. What do people think? A small voice in your head whispers, "You need to say something. Contribute. Find something wrong!"

This second scenario often leads to feedback that isn't driven by real needs but rather by a desire to appear valuable or insightful.

Why Groupthink is Dangerous

Collaboration is good. But forced collaboration? It can ruin even the best design. Why? Because people often feel the pressure to suggest something revolutionary. They want their comment to stand out. So instead of practical adjustments, you get dramatic suggestions that might "10x" or even "99x" the idea on paper. Reality, however, rarely aligns or it can stir the strategy up fully.

Many Roads Lead to Rome. But Which One Should You Take?

Building a digital product is a lot like planning a trip. You can take the fastest highway, fly on a plane, or cruise in a stylish cabriolet along the coastline. Each choice has its perks and its pitfalls. The highway is efficient but boring. The cabriolet is thrilling, but if it's an oldtimer, it could break up. How do you choose?

Similarly, web design can follow multiple paths. But here's what many teams overlook: your design isn't for you. It's for your users. Not the road you currently feel comfortable to take. But the one your customers think is the smartest choice.

You're Not the User

You and your team might be experts in your product. Great! But this expertise can lead to biased thinking. You already know what's next, what's important, and how to navigate the interface. Your user, however, is coming in fresh and without context.

Visionary thinking is vital, but user feedback keeps you grounded. Remember, people asked for faster horses not tractors. But once you invent that tractor, you still need feedback to make it comfortable and usable.

Escaping the group feedback collection trap with Fiidbakk

This exact issue is why we created Fiidbakk. It's designed to gather real, actionable feedback without group pressure. Everyone can comment independently, at their own pace, directly where the feedback matters. This method eliminates the "leader effect," where one dominant opinion influences everyone else's.

With Fiidbakk's click-and-comment mode, you get precise feedback linked directly to specific parts of your design. You'll clearly see patterns emerge. You can see exactly what's working and what needs improvement.

And if you're not ready for user input just yet, our private mode lets your team collaborate discreetly.

Always collect feedback from your website

The next time you're about to ask for website feedback, consider this carefully: Are you setting yourself up to learn what's important or fall into the feedback trap?

Avoid groupthink. Seek clarity. Embrace tools like Fiidbakk. Allow your users to leave comments and team members to share their ideas with their own pace. Get started with Fiidbakk