“Looks good” in a chat thread feels like an approval until someone asks for a different headline two days later. The work is not necessarily the problem. The approval was too vague to carry the project forward.
Approval is a decision, not a reaction
“Thoughts?” asks a client to reopen every decision at once: direction, details, copy, polish, and scope. A useful approval request narrows the question. Name the deliverable, the version, and the decision needed next.
For a homepage concept, ask for direction. For a final campaign, ask for approval of the message and the production. When the question is specific, the client can give a useful answer.
Put the latest version in one place
Scattered files create accidental approvals. A client may comment on an old PDF while the creative team is looking at a newer export. Use one review link for the current version and make the version visible. Keep old versions for context, but never make the client guess which file is authoritative.
Make feedback 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.” That is easier to resolve than “the deck feels off.”
When you send work, explain what changed, what needs a decision, and what is intentionally unchanged. A little context prevents a review from becoming 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. That protects the client and the creative team, and makes handoffs easier when a project involves an account manager 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.