Whether you are a designer, non-designer, or client in the IT industry, you will certainly be involved in design critique at some point in time – visual designs, prototypes, images, or sketches. This post indicates common mistakes during a design critique and how to provide actionable feedback to the designer to produce the best possible design. Critique is “a formal discussion of the good and bad points of a particular design.” This is the first post of a two-part series using the “Say This Not That” format.
Instead of saying… “Make it more modern”
Try saying…“Could we use a mobile navigation style like the [example app]?”
Examples, examples, examples! “Modern” is not specific enough to elicit an action from the designer. To best communicate what you consider as “modern” design, provide examples – preferably examples in the relevant industry. If you are someone without a design background, giving examples is a productive way to communicate to the designer. Also, take note of which aspect of the design needs to be updated to achieve modernity. Is it the interaction that seems old-fashioned? Or is it the color palette? Perhaps the imagery? Just remember, the more specific you are with designers the better they will be able to understand what you want and produce it.
What are some common miscommunications you’ve experienced or observed during a design critique? Share in the comments!
Sources:
Cascade SF Meetup Group with Braden Kowitz from Google Ventures
http://www.meetup.com/cascadesf/events/201673572/
http://www.eleganthack.com/
https://www.wordnik.com/words/design%20critique
