A client says “looks good” in a chat thread. Two days later, they ask for a different headline. You remember the first message; they remember the conversation differently. The work is not the problem. The approval was too vague to carry the project forward.
Approval is a decision, not a reaction
“Thoughts?” invites a broad review. It asks a client to reopen every decision at once: direction, details, copy, polish, and scope. A useful approval request narrows the question. What exactly is being reviewed? What should the client do next? What happens after approval?
Name the deliverable and the decision. “Please approve the homepage direction” is clearer than “new homepage.” If there are known open questions, list them beside the preview instead of hiding them in a long email.
Put the latest version in one place
Scattered files create accidental approvals. A client may comment on an old PDF while the designer is looking at a newer export. Use one review link for the current version and make the version visible. Keep the previous version available for context, but never make the client guess which file is authoritative.
Make feedback specific and actionable
Good feedback has a location, an observation, and a requested change: “On slide 4, the pricing note is hard to read at mobile width. Increase its contrast.” This is much easier to resolve than “the deck feels off.”
When you send work, give the client a short feedback frame: what changed, what needs a decision, and what is intentionally unchanged. That small amount of context reduces the chance that a review turns into an unplanned redesign.
Record the decision while it is fresh
An approval should leave a durable record: who decided, what they decided, and which version they decided on. This protects the client and the creative team. It also makes handoffs easier when a project involves an account manager, editor, or production partner.
Markum gives freelancers and agencies a focused place to present work, collect an approval or change request, and keep the decision with the deliverable. The goal is simple: make the next step unmistakable.