The Future of Feedback
Feedback is deeply emotional.
I remember the first time that somebody gave me “real” feedback. I had just pulled a few all-nighters designing a new logo for a class project. Like we did every Thursday, all designs were pinned up on the wall for critique and today was my turn to share with the class. It wasn’t pretty. I’ll never forget that feeling of rejection, doubting if what I had designed was good enough.
While it was hard to hear at the time, that feedback inspired how I could improve the project, but also strengthen my skills to get better. There’s truly nothing like real feedback.
The most important relationships in your life depend on raw, candid, and frequent feedback loops from people you care about. Organizations thrive on it. Innovation craves it.
If feedback is so critical, then why is it so difficult to get? In fact, a Harvard study showed that while people love getting feedback, they hate giving it. It’s true. Think back to the last time you gave “real” feedback to someone you cared about. It doesn’t come easy.
The same could be said for feedback to co-workers, business partners, the communities you serve, and even the companies who make products you use.
Feedback needs an overhaul.
My inbox is full of companies who want “real” feedback– “How was your stay with us? How did you like your new shoes? How was your experience with our maintenance department?”…
I never respond. And, it’s not because I don’t want to.
The experience isn’t designed to delight me – the “responder.” The survey just ends up feeling sterile, impersonal, pointless, and that I will end up as a data point on someone’s pie chart. I mean, when’s the last time you expressed any sort of emotion while taking a survey, let alone looking at the results? (see below; I bet you are already looking for the “Next” button to skip ahead.)
It took some time to really understand why I didn’t want to respond. After all, it’s not the survey’s fault. You see, surveys with radio buttons and form fields come from a time when the internet was largely just text-based. (cue audio of the ‘dial-up’ sound effect)
Well, that’s just not the internet today.
The internet is fast-paced and highly visual, with new ways to facilitate commerce, communication, and connection. We’ve moved beyond just clicking radio buttons to moving ideas forward, people forward. We are creating really cool things, want to openly share them with the world, and thrive on what people think about them. It’s just hard to get that candid feedback… until now.
That’s why we’re excited to share Vurvey with the world.
Hide the face, hide the insight.
When watching my first video feedback on Vurvey, I remember how it felt. Seeing the excitement in someone’s eyes and the disappointment in their face, helped me experience insights on a whole new level. I can understand what people think, and most importantly, why they think that way. It reminded me of that “real” feedback moment in Design school. Seeing (and hearing) this kind of feedback just feels different, personal, and inspiring.
Putting human emotion first, changes everything.
Will you join us?
This past year, our team has been working with one goal in mind – make feedback more human.
We launched in private beta with organizations who wanted to try it out. It was incredible! From validating early ideas to gathering product reviews, they explored all of the different ways that Vurvey can help gather feedback and insights from any audience. It opened all of our eyes to the power of what we’re actually building together.
This may be the first time that you’re hearing about Vurvey. If that’s the case, we’re excited you’re here. We’d love for you to request a demo and learn how you can help make feedback more human.
Meet you inside,
Chad Reynolds
Founder & CEO, Vurvey
