Ready, Set, Critique!
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Transcript of Ready, Set, Critique!
Ready, Set, Critique! The Value of Critique and Integrating it into your Design Process
Adam Connor - Senior Experience Designer
ICE BREAKING
Let’s talk about…
Part 1: What is critique
Part 2: Integrating critique into your process
Part 3: How to critique and run critique sessions
ICE BREAKING
Part 1: What is Critique?
Feedback is Important
Feedback is the mechanism by which we
understand the response, reaction or
impact what we do, or a product we’ve
created, has on a person, an environment,
a system, etc.
So why are so many people afraid of it?
People take it personally
No one wants to be wrong
wrong = failure
wrong = vulnerable
Why do we fear feedback?
What makes good feedback?
Good feedback…
should identify where, and how a design is meeting it’s goals
should identify where, and how a design is not meeting it’s goals
should be delivered in a form in which the person receiving the feedback
understands it and can act upon it to make improvements.
This is critique!
What is critique?
Critique is:
a “type” of feedback…
focused on describing what does and what does not work, as well as how and why.
delivered from the perspective of the audience/users and goals of the design.
a activity used to collect structured feedback…
in which participants give their feedback in the form of critique.
Critique vs. Criticism
Criticism… Critique…
finds fault examines structure
looks for problems looks for what does and doesn’t work
condemns what it doesn’t understand asks for clarification
is abrasive is honest and objective
is negative is positive even about what isn’t working
is general and vague is concrete and specific
What is critique?
Ways in which we already collect feedback
Reviews
Focus Groups
Surveys
Usability Studies
* Image by smannion, from Flickr
Critique does not replace any of the tools
we already have.
The Value of Critique
For Designers
Encourages Designers to “detach”
themselves from their designs and
examine them objectively
Provides access to new ideas that
Designers may not have found alone
Provides practice in listening to and
responding to feedback
Provides practice in explaining the
thinking and rationale behind design
decisions
The Value of Critique
For Design and Project Teams
Helps establish a common framework
for discussing designs and ideas
Creates opportunities for more team
interaction, building collaboration and
trust
Allows for a cross-pollination of ideas
for projects
The Value of Critique
Learning to critique well makes us better communicators.
Critiquing well is about understanding what makes for good
feedback, how to give it, and how to get it.
ICE BREAKING
Part 2: Incorporating Critique Into Your Process
Be Prepared
Find a good room
space to move around
plenty of wall space for posting
designs
whiteboard, projector/display
Make sure you have the right materials to
communicate what you’d like critiqued
(sketches, wireframes, prototypes, etc.)
Make materials available ahead of time.
Bring lots of post it notes and markers.
Who to Invite
Identify 3 - 6 people you want to invite
Consider attendees based on the goal of your session
Business Analysts
Product Strategists
Developers
Other Designers
Consider personality, not just roles
Don’t use the same people every time
Traditional Project Lifecycle
Refinement
Wrap-up of Details
Early on in the Project
Middle of Project
End of Project
Discovery
Traditional Project Lifecycle
What You’ve Been Working On
Reviewing/setting high level user/business goals
User research, competitive analysis
Initial concepts, blue-sky vision
Example Goals
Get feedback about a set of different concepts / approaches
Explore the designs of competing products
Early on in the Project
Discovery
What You Might Look At
Competing products
Conceptual models/sketches/flows
Traditional Project Lifecycle
What You’ve Been Working On
Designing detailed interactions and product behaviors
Identifying variations in flows
Solving for technical and business constraints
Example Goals
Compare how different components of a system are designed
Discuss potential usability issues
Get cross-functional team feedback
Middle of Project
Refinement
What You Might Look At
Screen-flow diagrams, wireframes, low-fidelity prototypes
Traditional Project Lifecycle
What You’ve Been Working On
Finalizing detailed design
Solidify answers or solutions to issues
Solving for technical and business constraints
Example Goals
Analyze design details and the product’s full impact (beta)
Discuss usability issues
Get cross-functional team feedback
End of Project
Wrap-up of Details
What You Might Look At
Hi-fidelity prototypes
Beta/Pilot systems
Critique in Agile
Week 1 Week 2
Iteration N
Sketch
Plan For Critique
Recruit for Usability
Hold Critique
Make Updates
Conduct Usability
Create New Stories
Review Stories
Involve your team from the beginning
Invite developers, customers and maybe even the product owner
Complete at least one critique per iteration
Depending on the goal, you can have it either in the middle or end of the iteration
Account for critique session during estimation
Attach to specific stories as necessary
The Design Studio Approach
Rapid design activity
Cross-functional team
All participants design solutions
individually for a set period of time
Collectively the group critiques the
individual designs
Individuals iterate on their design
based on what they learned from the
critiques
Individuals collect to form larger
groups merging ideas over successive
iterations
ICE BREAKING
Part 3: How to Critique and Run Critique Sessions
Critique is a Skill
You will only get better with practice
Start small
Internal only
Think before you speak
Choose clients you critique with carefully
Ground Rules
Everyone is equal
Everyone is a critic
It will be up to the designer to decide
which feedback to act upon and which
not to
Design decisions are not to be made
during critiques
Always make sure to review these (and any other) ground rules with clients to gauge how comfortable they are with them before planning a critique.
Also, post the ground rules in the room where the critique will be held.
The Opening
Clearly describe the goals of the
product but not how it’s intended to
achieve them
Present the product quickly
Be careful when talking about
constraints
Techniques and Tools for Good Critique
Active Listening / Question for Clarity
Moderators
Quotas
Round-Robin
Direct Inquiry
Feedback Frameworks
Six Thinking Hats
Expertise Specific Feedback
Things to Avoid
Poor body language
Preference based feedback
Unqualified feedback
Being overly defensive
Problem solving
Follow Up
Document the observations and open
questions that came out of the critique
and post/share them
Follow up with individuals to for more
feedback or to go explore a proposed
idea
Communicate next steps: what
activities will occur prior to the next
critique
Dealing with Difficult Individuals
Set expectations at the beginning of the sessions
Make sure everyone understands what critique is
Ask quiet people for feedback directly.
Use “Laddering” to provoke explanations.
Use personas and documented goals to help ensure everyone stays focused
Request specific feedback from people with regard to their areas of expertise
(development, marketing, etc)
In Summary
Learning to critique well improves our ability to communicate with our teams,
clients and others.
The ability to critique well will only improve with practice.
Critique focuses on what works, what doesn’t and why, and is delivered from the
perspective of a well-defined audience and goals.
Critique can be done both internally and with clients.
Critique is best done with 3-6 people in 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Be sure to clearly communicate the goals of a critique session as well as ground
rules to all participants.
Thank You
Documentation
Slides can be found at:
http://www.slideshare.net/adamconnor
Adam Connor Senior Experience Designer
Twitter @adamconnor
More Thoughts on Critique
Scott Berkun – How to Run a Design Critique
http://www.scottberkun.com/essays/23-how-to-run-a-design-critique/
Viget Labs – Taming the Elephant: Design Critique with Non-Designers
http://www.viget.com/inspire/design-critiques/
Digital Web Magazine – The Delicate Art of (Web) Design Critique http://www.digital-web.com/articles/web_design_critique/
Jared Spool - What Goes Into a Well-Done Critique
http://www.uie.com/articles/critique/