The Psychology of Design Feedback: Less is More

A Camel Is a Horse Designed by Committee (And Your Website Might Be Too)

If you’ve ever wondered how a brilliant campaign turned into a bloated, bland compromise—congrats, you’ve met the committee.

There’s an old quip: “a camel is a horse designed by committee.” Funny, sure. But in B2B design / dev? It’s a red flag in a trench coat.

Let’s get real: Great creative doesn't survive five rounds of half-baked input from people who barely skimmed the original brief. Yet, most marketing orgs still operate under the assumption that “more eyes = better output.” That’s not collaboration. That’s not even design by committee. That’s sabotage by dilution.

The Psychology of Unnecessary Input

Here’s the catch: when people are asked for feedback, they feel obligated to give it—even if they have nothing meaningful to add. It’s human nature. People need to justify their presence in the chain.

And what do you get as an output?

• A chorus of “can we tweak the color here?”
• Unfounded claims that something “doesn’t feel right”
• The insidious and infamous “can you make it POP?” 

Worse, it creates an environment where safe, unmemorable work thrives—because bold ideas get watered down to avoid conflict and half-satisfy the chorus-of-many.

Why Big Approval Circles Are a Strategic Risk

You’re not just losing time. You’re losing intentionality. You’re losing punch. And you’re losing buyers.

According to a Foundry report, 51% of IT decision-makers abandon content if it's unclear or feels too generic. You know what creates that kind of experience? Committee-think.

If your goal is resonance and conversion—not internal appeasement—you need to treat design and content like product: minimal viable stakeholders, maximum market impact.

How to Fix It: The Critical Stakeholder Framework

Want sharper experiences, faster launches, and fewer email threads that go nowhere? Shrink your circle. Here’s how:

1. Assign a ‘Decider’, Not a Dozen
Limit final approval to one or two critical stakeholders. Everyone else? FYSA only.

2. Gate Feedback by Role
Only solicit input if the person’s expertise directly impacts the outcome. CTO? Yes, for a dev-targeted landing page. Marketing Coordinator? Nah.

3. Set Strict Feedback Rules
Time-boxed review windows. Limit to 3 actionable points. If it’s a vibe-check, it’s a nope.

4. Socialize Finality Early
Make it clear upfront: this isn’t a brainstorm—it’s a checkpoint to keep you aware. Feedback must be strategic, not stylistic.

5. Trust Your Agency (Or Don’t Hire One)
If you’ve partnered with a creative agency that has delivered for you, trust the process. Micromanagement turns expert-led strategy into design-by-frustration.

Final Word: Streamline or Stagnate

B2B creative and content that converts is vibrant, clear, and purposeful. If your creative process resembles a democracy at a town hall, you’re not scaling—you're stalling.

Keep your approval loop tight. Empower your experts. And for the love of creative—don’t turn your next horse into a camel.

Want to build your next thoroughbred? Get in touch.