Agenda
Part 1 (For Students)
 Critiques vs. Comments
 Why Critique?
 What to Look For
 Criticism: How to Give it
 Criticism: How to Take it
Part 2 (For Teachers)
 Suggestions for the Classroom
Standards Addressed:
3.1 (Industry language)
4.5 (Written critiques)
7.9 (Pre-production)
8.2, 9.1 (Production)
8.11, 10.6 (Forum/digital critique)
11.0 (Critique through every phase)
12.4 Presentation
Critique vs. Comments
Are they the same?
 Critique = specific; actionable; make something
better as a whole; solving a specific problem.
I like it!
I don’t
like it.
Why Critique?
Real-world application for ANY industry … or walk of life.
 Boss to employee
 Employee to customer/client
 Parent to child
 Friend to friend
Creation is communication.
Deep down, designers love feedback.
(we just might not be on the same page as everyone else. )
What to Look For
Design fundamentals = Backbone of good critiques.
 Note where your eyes go first.
(Emphasis, Movement, Simplicity)
 Squint your eyes.
(Balance, Contrast)
 Scan diagonally from top left to bottom right.
(Movement)
 Find the Intersections
(Balance, Unity, Movement)
 What five things do you remember most?
(Emphasis, Unity, overall effectiveness)
3.1 (Industry language)
Criticism: How to Give it
The “A.C.E” Method:
Appreciate
Identify something done well or correctly.
Coach
Specify ways to improve.
Encourage
Reassure of success.
A.C.E. Practice 1
A.C.E. Practice 2
A.C.E. Practice 3
Criticism: How to Take it
How you take criticism is more important than how it is
given. Showing that you can hear and respond
thoughtfully to feedback reflects well on YOU.
“It can be hard not to be struck dumb, thrown into
doubt, when someone criticizes your work. It’s like
they’re criticizing you. But they’re not. They’re
critiquing your work.
It’s an output, not your essence.”
- John Moore Williams, Director of Content Strategy at InVision
Criticism: How to Take it
 Don’t think defensively.
 If the suggested change makes sense, get the
person to expand on it.
 If the suggested change doesn’t make sense, argue
against it (design fundamentals).
 When in doubt, ask “Why?”
 Feel free to ignore suggestions.

But if you hear the same one twice or more, it’s definitely
worth considering.
Lead by Example
Model the type of language and format you’d like your
students to use when providing feedback.
How Often?
You should hold critiques at every stage of a project.
Different stages call for different levels of criticism.
 Pre-Production

Research/brainstorming/thumbnails
 Production

Roughs/revisions
 Post-Production

Final outcome
11.0 (Critique through every phase)
Ideas: Pre-Production
 If students are working in a group, have them vote on
the most interesting ideas to take further.
 Pair students together for brainstorming/thumbnail
sessions.
 Make the Pre-Production work an actual assignment
and select 3-5 of their best ideas as part of your
grading process.
4.5 (Written critiques)
7.9 (Pre-production)
Ideas: Production
 This is the digital age! Have students post their
progress on forums, discussion threads, social
media, etc. and have their peers give feedback.
(Just be sure to set ground rules)
https://muut.com/critiquedemo/
 “Review Breaks”: Have students take a 10-minute
break during lab time and walk around the room to
see what their peers are doing.
4.5 (Written critiques)
8.2, 9.1 (Production)
8.11, 10.6 (Forum/digital critique)
Ideas: Post-Production
 Start with a silent “review” – all work is displayed and
everyone takes a look silently.
 Have students present to smaller groups rather than
the whole class.
 During presentation, have students cover these three
talking points:



Why they made the decisions they did (color, font, images)
Their favorite part of the piece
Where they think they could improve
8.2, 9.1 (Production)
12.4 Presentation
Your Ideas?
What’s been successful for YOU?
Q&A
Any other questions or concerns?
Thank You
Resources and references:
 10 Creative Critiques to Try (The Art of Ed)
 Free Forum tool: Muut.com
 5 Tips on Taking Design Feedback (InVision)
 How to Give Designers Better Feedback (InVision)
 The Good Creative (free Kindle eBook)
 4 Tips for Getting Better Client Feedback (InVision)
 The Forrst Park Guide to Giving Feedback (ZURB)
 5 Steps to Getting Better Feedback on Your Design Projects
(Interaction Design Foundation)