Receiving feedback is hard. Really hard. And as sound designers or creative folks, it can feel downright brutal. We’re not just talking about tweaking some numbers on a spreadsheet or switching slides 3 and 4 in a PowerPoint deck. When you make something as a creative it’s personal. It’s a reflection of your thoughts, your emotions, and your choices. So when someone critiques it, it can feel like they’re critiquing you.
But feedback is part of the gig… and it’s one of the most powerful tools for growth if we can learn how to take it well.
So in this post, I want to focus on things to keep in mind when receiving feedback about your creative work.
You Are Not Your Work
In my experience, creative people, including sound designers, tend to fuse who we are with what we make. That’s understandable. We pour much of ourselves into our work and it can be hard to see where we end and where the art begins. But if we’re going to grow from feedback, we have to recognize that our work is just that: work. It’s a creation. It’s separate from our identity.
When someone critiques something we’ve made, they’re not critiquing us. And yes, I know that’s easier said than done. But it’s a crucial mental shift. If we can get some distance between ourselves and our work, we can start to see feedback for what it is: a chance to improve what we’ve made. One way to create and maintain this shift is by being careful about the language we use when talking and thinking about our work.
Think About Your Language
There’s something I see a lot when sound designers present their work for feedback from me–especially more junior designers. They will use phrases like, “I like how this is feeling,” or “This sounds good to me.” These are fine things to think as you’re creating your work, but if you’re seeking feedback from a peer or eventual sign-off from a director or a supervising sound designer, phrases like that can be counterproductive.
Here’s why: it sounds harsh, but as much as we are deeply invested in how something sounds or feels to us, the people making the final decisions aren’t necessarily concerned with whether it resonates with you. What they’re really focused on is how the work fits within and serves the larger picture. Questions like, “How is this sound helping tell the story?” or “Does this design really support and reinforce the VFX and animation in this moment?” are what they’re thinking about.
If you can re-frame your presentation of work through that lens—thinking about the project’s needs rather than your personal connection to it—you’ll have a much easier time separating yourself from your work when receiving feedback. It’s about presenting your choices as intentional, thoughtful, and in service of the project, rather than subjective preferences. Presenting your work this way not only shifts the conversation, but it shows you’re thinking beyond yourself, which is what any project lead wants to see.
Get Curious and Ask, Don’t Defend
Here’s something we’ve all probably been guilty of: when we get feedback, our first instinct is often to defend what we did. “But I meant to do that!” or “You don’t understand what I was going for!”
It’s hard not to explain yourself when you feel misunderstood. But the truth is, defensiveness shuts down the conversation. Instead of acting defensive, start asking questions. Take a step back and get curious about what the other person sees that you might have missed.
Ask questions like, “Can you explain what didn’t work for you and why?” or “How would you approach this differently?”
Remember the Why
Let’s get real: feedback can feel like a judgment. It can feel like someone is telling you that your work isn’t good enough, that you’ve failed. But the truth is, feedback is about helping you make your work better. It’s about giving you another angle, another perspective you might not have seen or considered.
Ask yourself, what can I learn from this feedback? How can it help me create something stronger? How is this feedback better helping me support the story I’m trying to tell with sound?
Remembering the why is crucial. Assume that folks have their best intentions at heart, and that everyone involved in a project—whether it’s a game, a film, or a video—has the same goal: to create something great. Everyone wants to bring the best possible version of the work into the world. Keeping that in mind helps shift the focus away from feeling personally attacked and toward a shared goal of collaboration.
When you think about feedback this way, even tough critiques start to feel less like obstacles and more like tools. They become part of the process that makes the work stronger and the final project better.
Take a Breath Before You React
Let’s say you’ve just gotten some feedback, and your immediate reaction is…not good. Maybe you feel frustrated, deflated, or angry. That’s normal. You don’t have to pretend that feedback doesn’t sting sometimes.
But here’s the key: don’t respond right away. Give yourself some time to process. It’s okay to ask the person giving you feedback for a bit of time or space to process what they’ve said. I’ve even had a sound designer stop me mid-thought while I was delivering feedback, and say, “Hey, I’m not in a good head space to process all this right now. Do you think we can take a break and talk about it later?” And that is totally fine.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or fried, maybe take a short break, go on a walk, and come back with fresh eyes and ears. More often than not, what feels like a harsh or disappointing critique in the moment starts to make sense after a little time.
When You Have to Let Go
This is the one I personally struggle with the most.
Sometimes, even when you trust your instincts and believe in your creative choices, the person giving feedback disagrees with you, and they have the final say. That can be really tough. There will be times when you’ll need to make changes that you don’t necessarily agree with to satisfy a director, supervisor, or client. It can feel like you’re compromising your artistic vision, and that’s a hard pill to swallow.
So how do you deal with that? Do you walk out in a huff? Do you say, “fuck it,” and do exactly as you’re asked and decide not to care anymore?
First, it’s important to recognize that creative work is often collaborative by nature–especially in video games. And part of collaboration is balancing your vision with the needs and desires of the project. It’s not easy, but sometimes you have to let go of your personal preferences for the greater good of the final product. That doesn’t mean you’re abandoning your principles—it just means you’re adapting to the needs of the project.
Here’s something that can help in these moments: Try to re-frame the situation in your mind. Instead of seeing it as “changing my work to something I disagree with,” think of it as “finding a new way to solve a problem and satisfy the needs of all stakeholders.” You’re still using your creative skills, but now you’re applying them to meet a specific challenge.
Second, take comfort in the fact that every project is a learning experience, and not everything will turn out exactly the way you desire. Even when the final result isn’t exactly how you would prefer it to be, there’s always something to gain from the process. You’ve learned to work within constraints, to adapt, and to solve problems creatively under pressure. Growing these skills is just as important and valuable as your creative instincts.
Finally, give yourself permission to feel frustrated. It’s okay to not always feel great about the changes you have to make. But once you’ve allowed yourself that space, refocus on the bigger picture. What’s important is that the project as a whole succeeds.
In Conclusion and Looking Forward
I hope these musings help you receive feedback in your day to day work. And just know, as difficult as receiving feedback can be, giving it is even more of an art form and a skill that must be developed. Maybe my next post will focus on the other end of the equation–giving thoughtful, helpful, personalized, and actionable feedback.