How can you design feedback methods that are inclusive of diverse perspectives?

1 Define your feedback goals

Before you choose or create a feedback method, you need to define your feedback goals, that is, what you want to learn from your participants and why. Your feedback goals should align with your LGF objectives, as well as the expectations and interests of your participants. For example, if your LGF objective is to generate innovative ideas for a complex problem, your feedback goal might be to understand how participants felt about the ideation process, what challenges they faced, and what suggestions they have for improvement.

2 Choose a feedback format

Once you have defined your feedback goals, you need to choose a feedback format that suits your LGF context, your participants, and your resources. There are many feedback formats you can use, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, polls, ratings, testimonials, or observations. However, not all formats are equally inclusive, as some may favor certain types of participants over others, or exclude some voices from being heard. For example, surveys may be convenient and efficient, but they may not capture the nuances and emotions of participants' experiences, or allow them to express themselves in their own words. Interviews may be more personal and in-depth, but they may be time-consuming and intimidating for some participants, or influenced by the interviewer's biases. Therefore, you need to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each format, and how they affect the inclusivity of your feedback method.

3 Design your feedback questions

After you have chosen a feedback format, you need to design your feedback questions, that is, the specific questions you will ask your participants to elicit their feedback. Your feedback questions should be clear, relevant, respectful, and open-ended, to encourage participants to share their honest and constructive opinions. You should also avoid leading, biased, or loaded questions, that may influence or limit participants' responses, or make them feel uncomfortable or defensive. For example, instead of asking "Did you enjoy the LGF session?", which implies a positive expectation and a closed answer, you could ask "How did you feel during the LGF session?", which invites a more descriptive and diverse answer.

4 Adapt your feedback method

Finally, you need to adapt your feedback method to the specific characteristics and needs of your participants, to ensure that you are inclusive of their diverse perspectives. You can do this by considering factors such as language, culture, accessibility, literacy, confidentiality, and motivation, and how they affect participants' ability and willingness to provide feedback. For example, you may need to translate your feedback questions into different languages, use culturally appropriate symbols or scales, provide alternative formats or tools for participants with disabilities, ensure that participants' identities and responses are protected, or offer incentives or recognition for participants who give feedback. By adapting your feedback method, you can increase your participants' engagement, trust, and satisfaction, and collect more reliable and representative feedback data.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?