Who gets to decide?
The role of trustees and boards in arriving at creative choices
Ask any creative what their greatest fear is for their fresh out of the box concepts and the answer you’re likely to get is ‘design by committee’. Otherwise known as the dilution of an idea by too many voices, this results in the single-minded heart and soul of a solution being all but lost. And what do you end up with? Either a Frankenstein’s Monster incorporating a mishmash of feedback and opinion, or perhaps worse still, a vanilla brand – a ‘bland identity’.
Are creatives right to fear the ‘committee’? And how might we manage the process of evaluation so that the best route the most powerful creative solution is the one that gets taken?
Answering this question is something that should matter to everyone, not just the designer. It’s important because in getting a rebrand or refresh to land and resonate with the people you’re trying to reach, you’re increasing the positive impact you make.
And that’s what we’re all here for. That’s what we – brand consultants, designers, organisational teams and trustees – collaborate to achieve. Effective collaboration comes from good, open and well-managed communication.
Trustees matter
Let’s rewind a little; let’s say your organisation is at an inflection point. You’ve brought in a consultant or agency and have invested time and energy, as well as diverting budgets, into considering where you go with your brand.
It goes without saying that you care about how this is going to work out for your organisation. Of course, trustees too, care deeply about the success of your organisation. They put in their own time to attend meetings and read papers, fitting their obligations in around their own busy lives.
Charities, for their part, often feel they need to involve trustees in every decision and at every stage of, say, the rebrand process. When it comes to assessing strategic solutions, trustees need to have input in the discovery process and a full understanding of the brand’s proposed new strategy. (Without that they can’t hold the wider senior leadership to account.) But what is their role in assessing the creative solutions that follow the strategy phase?
Making creative decisions
The following questions should be at the core of every creative decision that’s taken:
- What evidence do we have to help us make the right decisions?
- How will this change increase our impact on the world?
- Will this solution move the dial?
While trustees play a crucial role in governance and strategy, their personal preferences should never be allowed to override audience needs or brand strategy (that only leads to inefficiencies, misalignment and that dreaded ‘design by committee’).
This post explores the common pitfalls of trustees being too closely involved in the design process and outlines where the opportunities for their most productive contribution lie.
The pitfalls of design by committee
When multiple trustees weigh in on a design, the result is often a compromise rather than a clear, compelling solution.
Design by committee tends to prioritise consensus over effectiveness, leading to ‘safe’, watered-down visuals that fail to make an impact. This happens because each person brings their own preferences which, if they conflict with one another, result in endless revisions and an unfocused final product. The best design decisions come from a small group of informed stakeholders who understand the brand’s strategic objectives and can make confident, audience-led choices.
Trustees are not the target audience
One of the biggest challenges is helping trustees separate their personal taste from what’s right for the organisation’s audience. A trustee may dislike a bold colour choice or modern typography but if research demonstrates that it resonates with the intended audience, their opinion should not outweigh audience insights. Keeping the following fact top of mind is key: the brand exists for the organisation’s beneficiaries, supporters and stakeholders. Shifting the conversation from “Do we like it?” to “Does it serve our mission?” helps keep feedback constructive and focused.
Conflicting opinions
A common issue in trustee-led feedback is contradiction. One trustee may feel the design is too modern, while another believes it’s not bold enough. Without a clear framework for feedback, designers are left trying to satisfy multiple, often opposing viewpoints, which results in confusion and frustration. Setting clear criteria such as brand alignment, audience appeal and strategic fit can help trustees provide more relevant feedback.
Risk aversion
Trustees often approach brand and design decisions with caution, fearing that anything too bold or different from the status quo could alienate existing stakeholders. While it’s important to protect an organisation’s reputation, excessive risk aversion can lead to stagnation. Some of the most successful charity rebrands have been those that embraced fresh, innovative approaches. Trustees should be encouraged to consider the long-term benefits of standing out in a crowded sector rather than defaulting to ‘safe’ but forgettable choices.
Being a trustee does not automatically make someone a brand or design expert
Trustees bring valuable expertise in governance, finance, and strategy, but they are rarely design professionals. Expecting them to make creative decisions without the necessary background can lead to misguided feedback. It’s important to respect their role while also trusting the expertise of brand and design specialists. When trustees do contribute to the process, their input should focus on alignment with the organisation’s mission rather than aesthetic details.
When and how to involve trustees
Defining clear roles
Setting expectations early can prevent difficulties later on. Trustees should understand that while they provide strategic oversight, they do not need to be involved in every design decision. A clear project structure – outlining who makes the final call and how trustees contribute – helps keep the process efficient and focused.
Setting boundaries
A useful framework is to separate governance from design execution. Trustees should have input on high-level brand strategy and key messaging, ensuring alignment with the organisation’s mission. However, they do not need to weigh in on font choices, image selection, or colour palettes unless these elements have direct legal, ethical, or reputational implications.
Leading with the strategy
Always present the strategy ahead of the creative solution. People often respond better to design when they understand its strategic role. Providing context such as audience research and brand positioning helps develop an understanding of design beyond pure aesthetics. Presenting design as a tool for engagement, advocacy and fundraising shifts the focus away from discussions based on subjective opinion, to ones that consider measurable impact.
Grounding design choices in research
Design is effectively a series of choices. Trustees are more likely to support design decisions when they see evidence of audience preferences. Sharing data from surveys or audience testing can help them understand why certain choices are made. This again, helps shift the conversation away from opinion i.e. “Do I like this?” to “Is this effective for the people we serve?”
Creating a structured approval process
To prevent endless revisions, set clear milestones for feedback and approvals. For example, trustees could review the initial brand strategy but not get involved in every iteration of the visual identity. Assigning a final decision-maker – such as the CEO or communications lead – ensures that projects move forward without unnecessary delays.
Feedback framework (and why it works)
When presenting designs to trustees, structure the conversation around key objectives. Instead of asking, “What do you think?”, ask, “Does this reflect our values? Does this speak to our audience? Does this align with our strategy?”
Providing a framework for feedback keeps discussions productive and focused on impact rather than personal opinion.
At The Co-Foundry we have a very specific method for presenting and receiving feedback from a committee-sized group. We first present the strategy, then present the design routes, explaining each brand idea and how it links back to the strategy. We then ask people to refrain from commenting (this can feel very alien!). Instead we use an evaluation form (on paper for in-person presentations or an online form for virtual ones) with a simple but objective set of questions, ranked from 0-5. We use this before we encourage an open discussion on the design. It may seem odd not to respond with an initial open debate but, as we all know, sometimes one or two loud voices dominate and bias opinion. This way we capture each person’s true initial response.
It isn’t always easy for non-designers to pinpoint exactly what isn’t working for them in a design. However, the more specific and objective the feedback, the more useful it will be. Instead of saying, “I don’t like the colours,” try identifying the issue more precisely – eg “The contrast between these two colours feels too harsh”. Focusing on tangible aspects rather than gut reactions helps designers understand the concerns and make meaningful adjustments. Resist the urge to provide solutions, give the designer space to find the right fix based on their expertise.
Including the team
Staff members who work closely with beneficiaries and supporters often have the best understanding of audience needs. Empowering them to drive the brand and design process ensures that decisions are informed by frontline experience rather than boardroom preferences. Trustees should have faith in the team being able to make decisions based on their expertise. Top-level buy-in is important but without team empowerment the new branding and messaging will go off-track fast.
Designers – when to listen, when to defend
Although designers need to be well acquainted with how and when to tactfully push back, they also need to know how to actively listen, maintain an open mind and respect diversity of thought. And above all, they need to learn not to take feedback personally.
As Rick Rubin says in his seminal book The Creative Act: A Way of Being:
When on the receiving end of feedback, our task is to set aside ego and work to fully understand the critique offered. When one participant suggests a specific detail that could be improved, we might mistakenly think that the entire work is being called into question. Our ego can perceive assistance as interference.
When we say that designers need to listen, then it follows that designers have to take part and be present in all conversations that impact design. Side conversations between trustees not only waste valuable time but also run the risk of taking things in new and irrelevant directions. The creative director or senior designer needs to be included at all times.
Strike the right balance
Trustee involvement in branding can be a positive force when approached in the right way. When trustees have marketing or brand expertise, or understand the power of good design and support the internal team in delivering it, they can help champion strategic, audience-led decision-making at the board level.
That said, their participation should be carefully managed to avoid inefficiencies and ‘design by committee.’ By setting clear boundaries, using audience insights and structuring the approval process effectively, charities can create strong, impactful brands without getting distracted, subjecting projects to unnecessary delays or design compromises.
Ultimately, charities should empower their marketing and communications teams to lead design discussions. These teams have the closest connection to the organisation’s audience and should be trusted to drive creative decisions. Trustees can contribute best by focusing on governance and strategy – ensuring that branding efforts align with the charity’s mission – while leaving the design execution to the specialists.
