Review and approval are different jobs

A subject-matter expert can check accuracy. A channel owner can check placement requirements. A brand lead can assess consistency. Their input matters, but that does not mean every reviewer should hold the final decision.

Approval becomes difficult when the team receives several comments with equal weight and no way to resolve conflict.

Give people a reason to be in the review

For each reviewer, name the question they are there to answer.

  • Strategy: Does the direction answer the objective and audience need?
  • Subject matter: Are the facts, claims, and terminology accurate?
  • Brand: Does the work fit the relevant brand standards?
  • Production: Will the approved direction work in the required outputs?
  • Decision owner: Is the work approved to continue or deliver?

Give the team one review

Collect feedback from required reviewers, resolve conflicts, and send one decision back to the team. A designer should not have to choose between three stakeholder comments that point in different directions.

One person should own the final call. That person can seek input without outsourcing the decision to the creative team.

Name the approver before the first review

The final approver should understand the objective, have authority over the decision, and be available when the schedule requires a call.

Record the decision and update the brief when direction changes. The creative team should not have to infer approval from silence or a collection of reactions.