Stop describing, just show the thing

Mark Bowley
January 21, 2026

The fastest way to get your bug reports ignored? Only describe it in words.

A developer said something interesting to me recently: “I actually want to fix the bugs and updates you send.”

Not because they’re more important. Not because I’m better at finding problems.

But because I don’t make them guess what I’m talking about.

Circle the broken element.

Arrow pointing to where it should be.

Quick note: “should align with this”.

Takes me 30 seconds. Saves others 30 minutes of guessing.

Most bug reports developers get are like: “The button doesn’t look right on mobile”. Which button? Which mobile? What doesn’t look right about it?

A screenshot with hand-drawn markup answers all of that instantly.

And it's not just developers. Clients understand faster. Teammates stop asking clarifying questions.

Everyone saves time.

Sometimes the best communication tool isn’t words at all.

It’s a wonky circle and an arrow, plus a note.

That's what I’ve made with Hndmark.

Talk soon,

Mark