Participants do see the report before it’s published (to check), but I don’t write it until they agree to publishing. It takes about a week of work (3-4 weeks of evenings) to write each one up. I simply can’t dedicate that kind of time if I can’t publish it.
The issue with people getting angry has got worse over time. I don’t know whether people are angrier or just more likely to take the time to complain?
I agree with your comments about the closeups in the vote-offs but it saved Vote-Off #3 as some participants would have dropped out without it. During the discussions for #4 and (I believe) #5, I suggested dropping it but it seemed to be the most popular photo amongst participants. Right now, I suspect the Vote-Offs are about to be dropped anyway. They are a lot of work for a diminishing return.
The pastels, pinks (and skin tone) and the tan shades were chosen by two women to appeal to women. The original colour scheme was blues and greys, but I was told that was too masculine. Would greens work better?
I have to admit I have zero understanding of how fonts can be masculine or feminine. I just divide them into easy-to-read and hard-to-read. I prefer san serif fonts like Arial but everyone else (I keep being told) find serif fonts softer and easier to read.