This document discusses improving team communication and collaboration through critique. It provides guidance on giving and receiving critique, including focusing on objectives, using questions to understand perspectives, and maintaining humility. Effective critique requires setting goals, analyzing related design elements, and evaluating their effectiveness. The document outlines rules for critique, such as avoiding problem solving, treating all participants equally, and allowing the designer to determine next steps. Facilitating critique involves defining goals, using techniques like round robin feedback, and appointing facilitators. Remote critique requires tools that support sight and sound as well as patience from all participants.

1. DISCUSSINGDESIGN
IMPROVING TEAM COMMUNICATION &
COLLABORATION THROUGH CRITIQUE

2. Conversations can hurt.

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...
It needs more flululululuh!!
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.

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.

6. feedback

8. Reaction

9. “Good lord! That’s awful! An inebriated cocker
spaniel could have done better!
Reaction

10. “Good lord! That’s awful! An inebriated cocker
spaniel could have done better!
Reaction
Direction

11. “Good lord! That’s awful! An inebriated cocker
spaniel could have done better!
“You should have made all of those radio buttons a
drop down [,because…]
Reaction
Direction

12. criticalthinking

13. critique

14. “Good lord! That’s awful! An inebriated cocker
spaniel could have done better!
“You should have made all of those radio buttons a
drop down [,because…]
Reaction
Direction

15. Critique
“Good lord! That’s awful! An inebriated cocker
spaniel could have done better!
“You should have made all of those radio buttons a
drop down [,because…]
Reaction
Direction

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
“Good lord! That’s awful! An inebriated cocker
spaniel could have done better!
“You should have made all of those radio buttons a
drop down [,because…]
Reaction
Direction

17. At their foundation is intent.
There are two facets to critique,
giving and receiving…

18. Giving critique with the wrong intent
is self focused.

19. Giving critique with the right intent
is objective focused.

20. When giving critique...
Use a filter.
Gather initial thoughts and reactions. Revisit them in the right context.

21. When giving critique...
Don’t assume.
Find out the reason behind thinking, constraints, or other variables.

22. When giving critique...
Don’t invite yourself.
Get in touch and ask to chat about the design.

23. When giving critique...
Lead with questions.
Show an interest in their process and learn more about their objectives.

24. When giving critique...
Talk about strengths.
Critique isn’t just about the things that aren’t working.

25. Receiving critique
with the right
intent takes
humility &
restraint.

26. Receiving critique
with the right
intent takes
humility &
restraint.

27. When receiving critique...
Remember the purpose.
Critique is about understanding and improvement, not judgement.

28. When receiving critique...
Think before responding.
Do you understand what the critics are saying?

29. When receiving critique...
Participate.
Analyze your proposed solution alongside everyone else.

30. When receiving critique...
Set the foundation.
Use prior agreements and objectives to get everyone on the same page.

31. Creative Direction vs Critique

32. Critique is a form of feedback meant to provide
guidance by identifying concerns and insights about
the work being presented. It is up to the designer(s)
to take the insights and make decisions about
progressing the design.
Direction is a more “direct” form of feedback that
identifies specific things that need to be changed in a
design. This feedback is less open to designer
interpretation.

33. We need tools, and a plan.

35. What are the objectives for the design?

36. What are the objectives for the design?

37. What are the objectives for the design?
What are the related design elements?

38. What are the objectives for the design?
What are the related design elements?

39. What are the objectives for the design?
What are the related design elements?
Are they effective at achieving the objectives?

40. What are the objectives for the design?
What are the related design elements?
Are they effective at achieving the objectives?

41. Why are or aren’t they effective?
What are the objectives for the design?
What are the related design elements?
Are they effective at achieving the objectives?

42. Synthesize
Observations
Create or
Refine
Observe &
Evaluate

43. Synthesize
Observations
Create or
Refine
Observe &
Evaluate

49. Too Soon

50. Too Soon

51. Too Soon Too Late*

52. Too Soon Too Late*Just Right

53. Critique is a skill. You need to practice.
Keep in mind…

54. Critique is a skill. You need to practice.
Start small.
Keep in mind…

55. Critique is a skill. You need to practice.
Think before you speak.
Start small.
Keep in mind…

56. Critique is a skill. You need to practice.
Choose who you critique with carefully.
Think before you speak.
Start small.
Keep in mind…

57. Rules of critique
Avoid problem solving.

58. Rules of critique
Avoid problem solving.
Everyone is equal.

59. Rules of critique
Avoid problem solving.
Everyone is equal.
Everyone is a critic.

60. Rules of critique
Avoid problem solving.
Everyone is equal.
Everyone is a critic.
The designer is responsible for next steps.

61. Set the right foundation.

62. Set your foundation with…
Personas
User archetypes that describe their average behaviors, goals, expectations,
knowledge, etc.

63. 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.

64. Set your foundation with…
Principles
Statements, often worded as rules, that capture the desired qualities or
characteristics of the final solution.

65. 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.

66. 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.

67. Who should we invite?

68. Start things off on the right foot.

69. Facilitating critique
Critique Goals

70. Facilitating critique
Critique Goals
Active Listening

71. Facilitating critique
Critique Goals
Round Robin & Quotas
Active Listening

72. Facilitating critique
Critique Goals
Round Robin & Quotas
Direct Inquiry
Active Listening

73. Facilitating critique
Critique Goals
Round Robin & Quotas
Direct Inquiry
Six Thinking HatsActive Listening

74. Facilitating critique
Critique Goals
Round Robin & Quotas
Direct Inquiry
Six Thinking Hats
Facilitators
Active Listening

75. Yes, you will have to deal with difficult people.

76. Brainstorms?

77. Following up.

78. Critique and remote teams

79. Tips for critiquing with remote teams

80. Tips for critiquing with remote teams
Sight, sound, patience.

81. Tips for critiquing with remote teams
Sight, sound, patience.
Be open to use whatever tools work.

82. Tips for critiquing with remote teams
Sight, sound, patience.
Be open to use whatever tools work.
Be ready to ask a lot of questions, especially
after you get an answer.

83. Tips for critiquing with remote teams
Sight, sound, patience.
Be open to use whatever tools work.
Be ready to ask a lot of questions, especially
after you get an answer.
Be prepared, really prepared.

84. Tools for critiquing with remote teams
Zoom
GoTo Meeting
Slack
Google Hangouts
iPevo camera

85. Challenges to critique, & the path to better conversations

86. Aaron Irizarry
Head of Experience Infrastructure Capital One
@aaroni
oreilly.com
Use code “AUTH5” to get 50% off.
Amazon.com