Discussing Design Critique Effectively
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This document discusses best practices for giving and receiving design critique. It provides guidance on facilitating critique sessions, including setting goals, using active listening techniques, and ensuring all voices are heard. Challenges that can arise with critique like dealing with difficult people are addressed. The document also explores collaborative critique activities like brainstorming that utilize divergent and convergent thinking. Overall, the key messages are that critique is a skill that improves with practice, and should aim for respectful, constructive feedback to help drive design iteration and improvement.
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Discussing Design Critique Effectively
- 1. DISCUSSINGDESIGN Without Losing Your Mind AARON (aka Ron) IRIZARRY DIRECTOR OF USER EXPERIENCE #discussingdsgn
- 4. It’s laid out too much like [popular service]. We should be different. The new Spotify design is perhaps even worse than the old Spotify design. The visual hierarchy and underlying IA are terrible. No. That won’t work. What if we do it this way... This is terrible. The wireframes are still not answering our problem and are not providing enough an easier solution for the page. Change the order of the screens so that the 3rd and first one are switched. It doesn't have enough spunk. What kind of company shuts down a much-loved service like Google Reader but keeps the vegetative Google Plus? We're disappointed in this solution. We're going to have our own designers come up with one. Looks ugly. Make it pretty. What. The hell. Is this? I would never use this. I don’t like the layout. We should make that a dropdown instead of radio buttons. None of this is what I asked for. This is terrible. I have no idea what the lines mean. I like the paper form better. I'm just not feeling it. I don't know what, but it isn't right yet. Just needs to be more innovative. Make it look more like SharePoint. Here is a rewrite. My intention is to sharpen the language, make it more precise. #discussingdsgn
- 5. The new Spotify design is perhaps even worse than the old Spotify design. The visual hierarchy and underlying IA are terrible. No. That won’t work. What if we do it this way... Change the order of the screens so that the 3rd and first one are switched. What. The hell. Is this? We should make that a dropdown instead of radio buttons. None of this is what I asked for. Here is a rewrite. My intention is to sharpen the language, make it more precise. #discussingdsgn
- 9. “ Sweet fancy Moses! That looks like you vomited 1996 all over the internet! Reaction #discussingdsgn
- 10. “ Sweet fancy Moses! That looks like you vomited 1996 all over the internet! Reaction Direction #discussingdsgn
- 11. “ Sweet fancy Moses! That looks like you vomited 1996 all over the internet! “You should have made all of those radio buttons a drop down [,because…] Reaction Direction #discussingdsgn
- 14. “Sweet fancy Moses! That looks like you vomited 1996 all over the internet! “You should have made all of those radio buttons a drop down because… Reaction Direction #discussingdsgn
- 15. Critique “Sweet fancy Moses! That looks like you vomited 1996 all over the internet! “You should have made all of those radio buttons a drop down because… Reaction Direction #discussingdsgn
- 16. “ If the objective is for users to seriously consider the impact to their bank balance before making a purchase, placing the balance at the bottom of the screen at the same size as all the other numbers isn’t effective because it get’s lost in all of the other the information. Critique “Sweet fancy Moses! That looks like you vomited 1996 all over the internet! “You should have made all of those radio buttons a drop down because… Reaction Direction #discussingdsgn
- 17. Design Reviews Standalone Critiques Collaborative Activities #discussingdsgn
- 18. We need tools & a plan. #discussingdsgn
- 19. What was the creator trying to achieve? How did they try to achieve it? How effective were their choices? Why is or isn’t what they did effective? #discussingdsgn
- 20. What was the creator trying to achieve? How did they try to achieve it? How effective were their choices? Why is or isn’t what they did effective? #discussingdsgn
- 21. How did they try to achieve it? What was the creator trying to achieve? How effective were their choices? Why is or isn’t what they did effective? #discussingdsgn
- 22. How did they try to achieve it? What was the creator trying to achieve? How effective were their choices? Why is or isn’t what they did effective? #discussingdsgn
- 23. How effective were their choices? What was the creator trying to achieve? How did they try to achieve it? Why is or isn’t what they did effective? #discussingdsgn
- 24. How effective were their choices? What was the creator trying to achieve? How did they try to achieve it? Why is or isn’t what they did effective? #discussingdsgn
- 25. Why is or isn’t what they did effective? What was the creator trying to achieve? How did they try to achieve it? How effective were their choices? #discussingdsgn
- 26. Why is or isn’t what they did effective? What was the creator trying to achieve? How did they try to achieve it? How effective were their choices? #discussingdsgn
- 27. Giving & Receiving #discussingdsgn There are two facets to critique, at their foundation is
- 28. Giving critique with the wrong intent is #discussingdsgn
- 29. Giving critique with the right intent is objective focused. #discussingdsgn
- 30. When giving critique... Use a filter. Gather initial thoughts and reactions. Revisit them in the right context. #discussingdsgn
- 31. When giving critique... Don’t assume. Find out the reason behind thinking, constraints, or other variables. #discussingdsgn
- 32. When giving critique... Don’t invite yourself. Get in touch and ask to chat about the design. #discussingdsgn
- 33. When giving critique... Lead with questions. Show an interest in their process and learn more about their objectives. #discussingdsgn
- 34. When giving critique... Talk about strengths. Critique isn’t just about the things that aren’t working. #discussingdsgn
- 35. #discussingdsgn Receiving critique with the right intent takes humility & restraint.
- 36. When receiving critique... Remember the purpose. Critique is about understanding and improvement, not judgement. #discussingdsgn
- 37. When receiving critique... Think before responding. Do you understand what the critics are saying? #discussingdsgn
- 38. When receiving critique... Participate. Analyze your proposed solution alongside everyone else. #discussingdsgn
- 39. When receiving critique... Set the foundation. Use prior agreements and objectives to get everyone on the same page. #discussingdsgn
- 40. #discussingdsgn Things to keep in mind…
- 41. #discussingdsgn Critique is a skill. You need to practice. Things to keep in mind…
- 42. #discussingdsgn Critique is a skill. You need to practice. Start small. Things to keep in mind…
- 43. #discussingdsgn Critique is a skill. You need to practice. Think before you speak. Start small. Things to keep in mind…
- 44. Critique is a skill. You need to practice. Choose who you critique with carefully. Think before you speak. Start small. #discussingdsgn Things to keep in mind…
- 46. Avoid problem solving. Rules of critique #discussingdsgn
- 47. Avoid problem solving. Everyone is equal. Rules of critique #discussingdsgn
- 48. Avoid problem solving. Everyone is a critic. Everyone is equal. Rules of critique #discussingdsgn
- 49. Avoid problem solving. The designer is responsible for next steps. Everyone is a critic. Everyone is equal. Rules of critique #discussingdsgn
- 50. #discussingdsgn Setting the right foundation is crucial.
- 51. Set your foundation with... Personas User archetypes that describe their average behaviors, goals, expectations, knowledge, etc. #discussingdsgn
- 52. Set your foundation with... Goals Desired, measurable outcomes of the user interacting with the product or service. Can be user oriented, business oriented or both. #discussingdsgn
- 53. Set your foundation with... Principles Statements, often worded as rules, that capture the desired qualities or characteristics of the final solution. #discussingdsgn
- 54. Set your foundation with... Scenarios Short narratives that the describe the desired behaviors, thoughts, emotions, etc. of the user as they move through a use case. #discussingdsgn
- 55. Design Reviews Standalone Critiques Collaborative Activities #discussingdsgn
- 58. Critique is about iteration and improvement. So long as you’re looking to improve on whatever it is you’re doing, you’ve got an opportunity for critique. #discussingdsgn
- 59. #discussingdsgn Who get’s an invite to the dance?
- 60. #discussingdsgn The key is to start things off on the right foot.
- 63. Facilitating critique Critique Goals Active Listening #discussingdsgn
- 64. Facilitating critique Critique Goals Round Robin & Quotas Active Listening #discussingdsgn
- 65. Facilitating critique Critique Goals Round Robin & Quotas Direct Inquiry Active Listening #discussingdsgn
- 66. Facilitating critique Critique Goals Round Robin & Quotas Direct Inquiry Six Thinking HatsActive Listening #discussingdsgn
- 67. Facilitating critique Critique Goals Round Robin & Quotas Direct Inquiry Six Thinking Hats Facilitators Active Listening #discussingdsgn
- 68. #discussingdsgn Yes,you will have to deal with difficult people.
- 70. Design Reviews Standalone Critiques Collaborative Activities #discussingdsgn
- 71. #discussingdsgn Design reviews have their challenges.
- 72. Solving the review problem #discussingdsgn
- 73. Take control. Solving the review problem #discussingdsgn
- 74. Take control. Pretend you’re dealing with difficult people. Solving the review problem #discussingdsgn
- 75. Take control. Pretend you’re dealing with difficult people. Recap objectives. Solving the review problem #discussingdsgn
- 76. Don’t rely on them for critique. Take control. Pretend you’re dealing with difficult people. Recap objectives. Solving the review problem #discussingdsgn
- 77. Design Reviews Standalone Critiques Collaborative Activities #discussingdsgn
- 78. #discussingdsgn The ever popular brainstorm.
- 79. #discussingdsgn
- 80. #discussingdsgn
- 88. Critique is at the core of collaboration. #discussingdsgn
- 89. Thank you Aaron Irizarry Director of User Experience Discussing Design Improving Communication & Collaboration Through Critique Available from O’Reilly Media and Amazon. @aaroni aaron@thisisaaronslife.com