How do you evaluate feedback from a competition?

1 Understand the criteria

Before you submit your design proposal, make sure you understand the criteria and objectives of the competition. What are the main goals and values of the client and the site? What are the expected outcomes and impacts of the design? How will the jury evaluate the submissions based on these criteria? Knowing the criteria will help you align your design with the expectations and communicate your ideas clearly and convincingly.

2 Review the feedback

After the competition results are announced, review the feedback you receive from different sources. This may include the jury report, the client's comments, the public's reactions, and the media coverage. Try to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your design proposal based on the feedback. What did the jury like and dislike about your design? What did the client find appealing or problematic? What did the public appreciate or criticize? How did the media portray your design and its implications?

3 Compare and contrast

One way to evaluate your feedback is to compare and contrast it with other submissions. Look at the winning entries and the other finalists and see how they addressed the criteria and objectives of the competition. How did they differ from your design in terms of concept, strategy, aesthetics, functionality, and sustainability? How did they present their design in terms of graphics, narrative, and format? How did they receive feedback from the jury, the client, the public, and the media?

4 Reflect and learn

Another way to evaluate your feedback is to reflect and learn from it. Ask yourself what you learned from the competition experience and how you can apply it to your future projects. What did you discover about your design process, your strengths, and your areas of improvement? What did you learn about the site, the client, the context, and the issues involved in the competition? How can you use the feedback to refine your design skills, expand your knowledge, and enhance your portfolio?

5 Seek feedback

A final tip to evaluate your feedback is to seek feedback from others. You can ask for opinions and advice from your peers, mentors, colleagues, or experts in the field. You can also join online forums, groups, or communities related to landscape architecture and share your design proposal and feedback. Seeking feedback from others can help you gain new perspectives, insights, and suggestions on how to improve your design and your skills.

6 Act on feedback

The last step to evaluate your feedback is to act on it. Based on your review, comparison, reflection, and consultation, decide what actions you want to take to improve your design proposal and your skills. You may want to revise your design based on the feedback, or use it as a basis for a new project. You may want to update your portfolio with your design proposal and feedback, or showcase it on your website or social media. You may want to enroll in a course, workshop, or webinar to enhance your skills, or seek new opportunities to participate in competitions.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?