7 tips for providing feedback in a crit
How Getty Images’ Product Design team gets more out of critiques
At Getty Images, our Product Design team uses structured design crits to improve our work by providing focused feedback on specific designs. We love crits because they help our team create better work, faster.
Over the years, we’ve found that following a few simple guidelines can amplify the impact we make when participating in a crit.
1. Ask clarifying questions
Good feedback requires a solid understanding of the designer’s intent. If we’re unclear about why a design decision was made, we should start by asking clarifying questions instead of making statements or assumptions. When we do provide feedback based on an assumption (it happens), we should clearly state the assumption we’re working from to give the designer a chance to clarify their intent.
2. Frame feedback around tensions
When we look at designs, there are always elements in them that cause us to pause — a detail that doesn’t quite look right, or element that conflicts with a designer’s stated intent. We call these tensions. By providing feedback in the form of a tension, we highlight issues with the design in a specific but non-directional manner. Our goal is to alert the designer to issues that can be adjusted or corrected to better communicate their intent. Tensions focus attention on the decisions that make our design less successful — and by addressing them, we get to great designs faster.
3. Don’t suggest solutions
There are always alternate ways to solve a problem. Your role as a participant is to express tensions, not solve the problem. A tension can be addressed in multiple ways. The presenter is most intimately familiar with the complexity of the work. We are designers and we like to solve problems. That’s part of what makes design so fun and keeps us motivated.
4. Keep in mind that critique is not criticism
It’s easy to think the purpose of a critique is to offer criticism. This is not the case. Criticism is about looking at a final product and passing judgement on it, with the intent of challenging ideas, creating discussion and providing new ways of interpreting a work. Critique, on the other hand, is intended to shape work in progress. We use our expertise and knowledge to formulate and articulate helpful or guiding feedback, keeping personal opinion or judgement out of it.
5. No pats on the back
Critiques aren’t the place for a pat on the back — they’re where we elevate and refine our work to make it better. Phrases like: “I like that”, or “That’s so much better than what we have today”, or “This one’s my favorite” don’t provide helpful feedback. Professional designers deserve professional feedback. A track coach wouldn’t congratulate a professional sprinter on a training run, because they know it’s more valuable to focus on their form, balance and performance. Likewise, we want to provide actionable feedback on designs, knowing that we’ve got many other avenues for providing encouragement, praise and acknowledgement of a job well done.
6. Wait your turn
We follow a round-table format with our critiques, which means each participant gets to share one tension or ask one clarifying question before moving down the line. This helps ensure a diversity of voices is heard, not just the loudest ones. It also prevents critiques from devolving into conversations or debates within the group. The goal of the critique is to get as many pieces of feedback as possible in the shortest period of time, so it’s important that everyone respects the time of others.
7. Only speak if you’ve got something to say
If you don’t have a tension, pass. If you feel like you don’t have anything to add because you lack context, you may want to ask a clarifying question. But if you simply have nothing to add, then it’s perfectly okay to pass and give your time to someone who does. Remember: we critique to elevate the work of our presenter, not to bring attention to ourselves.
How does your team make sure you’re getting the best possible feedback from your design critiques? Share your tips in the comments below.
