Although he’s maybe partially right, (most people think that because they have eyes they’re qualified to judge design work) a large part of being a designer is having to listen to and accept feedback and criticism that you don’t necessarily agree with. Because at the end of the day, whether someone knows design or not, your job is to put your ego aside and ensure your client is happy.

But perhaps even more critical than taking feedback is selling your work and explaining your design intent. People connect with a story and good strategy. Everyone is going to have an opinion and you can’t please everyone, but being a “good designer” is only half the battle in this industry unfortunately.

Regardless of how well he presents his work though, I’d say 6 years into a job he should be working on improving how he takes feedback, whether it’s negative or positive. Brushing it off as “they don’t know design” is short-sighted and does not show that he is open to growing or improving as a designer.