Part 1: Introduction
The Crit Playbook
What is Design Crit?
There are many different ways to get feedback on design work: one-to-one conversations, formal reviews, user research, data analysis, the list goes on. This series will focus on how designers can best get feedback during a design critique.
Most design teams have a weekly critique meeting to make sure designers get the feedback and support they need. This meeting is where designers share unfinished work. We ask to be challenged and to have the successes and flaws in our work pointed out. At times, these conversations can be challenging and sometimes uncomfortable, but the more you open up in Crit the better designer you’ll be.
Always Come With A Point Of View
The number one rule of Design Critique is to always come with a point of view. Even if it’s a loosely held point of view or an opinion you’re not confident in, you have to come with one. To make products, you have to make decisions. To make informed decisions, you have to form an opinion. As a designer, this is what you’re getting paid for!
Crit should be a casual environment. But no matter how casual the conversation or the meeting, everyone’s time is important. Coming prepared shows respect for your teammates.
Know What Type of Feedback You Need
Always communicate what type of feedback you need to the group. This helps everyone focus their input on the details that are most relevant. It also ensures that you get the input you need, rather than input that might be out of scope or jumping ahead of where you are in the process.
A good place to start is letting people know which aspect of design you’d like input on:
- Visual design
- Interaction design
- User experience
Prepare Ahead of Time
Spend a few minutes before Crit to prepare. A good practice is to create a separate space or page in your design tool just for that day’s Crit. Only copy/paste in the visuals you need feedback on and the visuals you might need to include for context. This prevents scrolling around in big design files (jarring for everyone) and forces you to narrow down only the information needed for feedback and how best to present it.
When To Show, When Not To Show
It can be hard to know when is the right time for outside input on your work. At times it’s helpful. Other times it can introduce confusion. There are a few ways you can decide whether you should present your work in Crit.
You should present in Crit when:
- You’re blocked; you’ve explored all the possible or reasonable options but could use some extra brain power to make sure you’re not missing an opportunity.
- You need input on something specific to refine your current solution. Maybe an extra pair of eyes could help identify improvements you hadn’t thought of yet.
- You feel like you’ve landed on the right design, but want a gut check. You want your thinking challenged to make sure you’ve come to the best solution.
You should NOT present in Crit when:
- You haven’t developed your own point of view on the problem you’re solving. You haven’t had a chance to fully understand the goals of your project yet.
- You haven’t had a chance to explore different approaches on your own. There’s still a lot of low-hanging fruit or obvious ideas to try out first before getting feedback.
- Your mockups are a mess and you don’t have any digestible visual assets prepared. You won’t be able to facilitate a productive conversation.
- You have new work you’ve completed but you don’t really need feedback.
Tips For Organizing the Meeting
Have An Agenda
All meetings should have an agenda. It helps the meeting stay on track and ensures everyone gets the amount of time they need to present. Keep an eye on the time during the meeting and provide reminders when it’s time to switch presenters. The goal is to keep conversations focused and helpful.
Laptops Down
At the beginning of the meeting, remind everyone to close their laptops and phones when they’re not presenting. It’s better to skip Crit if you need to focus on other work or conversations than to try to multitask during the meeting.
Keep An Open Mind
No one has all the answers. We need outside points of view to make our best work. Crit is one of the places where that happens. Being in situations where you have to explain the reasoning behind your decisions ensures good design. Others can learn from your decision-making and you learn by having your decision-making challenged!
It’s always okay to say “I don’t know” or “I’ve tried everything and I still haven’t found a good solution. I need help!” It doesn’t make you seem inexperienced or like you don’t know what you’re doing. It happens to all good designers.
Coming Up Next
In Part 2 of this series, we’ll cover best practices for how to present your work in crit and how to facilitate the conversation to get the feedback that you need.
Want to be part of our product design team? We’re hiring! Reach out to learn more. carolann.merchant@bleacherreport.com
