Collaborate and Improve: How Design Critique Can Transform Your Work

Published in

Gravel Product & Tech

4 min readJul 3, 2024

Have you ever created a design that you thought was great enough, only to receive feedback that actually made sense? Have stakeholders ever pointed out issues you didn’t notice? If you’re a designer, you’ve likely experienced these moments. There are always blind spots we can’t see. So how do we identify and address these blind spots before a design goes into development? How can we incorporate all stakeholders’ perspectives? One effective strategy is design critique.

As a product designer, I often find inspiration in unexpected places. One day, while scrolling through Instagram, I stumbled upon a story by one of the famous Indonesian UX experts. His Google Calendar was packed, and one entry caught my eye: “Design Critique”. Intrigued, I delved into researching this concept and realized how crucial it could be for our team at Gravel, which had grown from just two designers to five. Here’s a little of what I found and why I believe design critique is essential for improving our work.

What is Design Critique?

Design critique is a collaborative activity where team members gather to analyze and provide feedback on a design. The goal is to enhance the quality of the design, ensuring it meets its initial objectives. By collecting perspectives from various stakeholders, we can determine if the design effectively addresses the intended goals.

Critique vs. Criticism

It’s essential to distinguish between critique and criticism. Critique aims to uncover opportunities, identify what works, pose questions, and be objective. In contrast, criticism often finds faults, focuses on what’s lacking, and can be negative and personal. The goal of a design critique is to build up and improve, creating a safe space for development rather than a tense environment filled with judgment.

Why Do Design Teams Hold Design Critiques?

Design critiques are vital for several reasons:

Encouraging a feedback culture
They promote a culture of feedback within the company, encouraging designers to articulate their decisions and align with other teams.
Gaining diverse perspectives
Feedback from different team members helps identify blind spots and missed opportunities.
Maintaining consistency
They ensure that designs are consistent with the overall design system.
Personal and professional growth
Regular feedback sessions contribute to the personal development of designers, helping them improve their skills continually.

When Do We Need Design Critique?

Design critique can be valuable at any stage of the design process, from ideation and wireframing to prototyping and even post-production. The earlier and more frequent feedback is incorporated, the higher the quality of the final design.

Who Should Be Involved in Design Critique?

A successful design critique involves several key roles:

Presenter
Describes the problem being solved and presents the design solutions.
Facilitator
Manages the schedule, ensures the session stays on track, and keeps the focus.
Note taker
Records the feedback and action steps.
Critiquers/audience
Includes stakeholders such as product managers, engineers, marketers, etc., who understand the problem statement and ask insightful questions.

How Does a Design Critique Look?

A typical design critique session involves:

1. Preparation

Presenter: Prepares by outlining the problem, hypothesis, goals, and go through the proposed solutions.

Facilitator: Sends invitations a few days in advance with a clear agenda.

As a presenter you can use this framework:

I am showing [early/mid/late] work
Around [the problem]
Because [why it’s a problem]
And am looking for feedback around [specific focus for feedback]

2. Presentation

Presenter: Shares the design work, explains the context, and specifies what feedback is needed.

3. Discussion

Audience: Provides feedback through positive, constructive, questions and new ideas feedback.

Feedback framework:

As an audience, you can put the sticky notes right next to the design.

4. Conclusion

Note taker: Summarizes the action plans and reinforces the idea that great designers seek diverse feedback to enhance user experience.

Incorporating regular design critiques can significantly elevate the quality of design work. By fostering a culture of constructive feedback and collaboration, teams can ensure their designs are robust, user-centered, and aligned with business goals. As we continue to grow and evolve, embracing design critique will be crucial for our success and continuous improvement. By embracing design critique, we can improve not only our designs but also our skills and team dynamics.

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