What's your design critique prep routine?

1 Define your goals

Before you show your design to anyone, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve from the critique. What stage of the design process are you in? What are the main questions or challenges you are facing? What kind of feedback are you looking for? Having specific and realistic goals will help you focus the critique on the most relevant aspects of your design and avoid getting sidetracked by irrelevant or subjective opinions.

2 Select your audience

The next step is to decide who you want to invite to your critique session and how you want to communicate with them. Depending on your goals, you may want to include different types of people, such as fellow designers, users, experts, or decision-makers. You also need to consider the format and the medium of the critique, whether it is face-to-face, online, synchronous, or asynchronous. Choose the option that best suits your needs and preferences, and make sure everyone is on the same page about the purpose, expectations, and rules of the critique.

3 Prepare your materials

Once you have your goals and your audience in mind, you need to prepare the materials that will showcase your design and support your arguments. Depending on the nature and the complexity of your design, you may need to use sketches, mockups, prototypes, or other tools to demonstrate your ideas and solutions. You also need to prepare a brief introduction that explains the context, the problem, and the objectives of your design, as well as any assumptions, constraints, or criteria that influenced your choices. Finally, you need to prepare some questions or prompts that will guide the discussion and elicit the feedback you need.

4 Practice your presentation

Before you go to the critique session, you should practice your presentation and anticipate some possible questions or comments that you may encounter. This will help you improve your confidence, clarity, and coherence, as well as your ability to handle criticism and feedback. You can practice by yourself, with a friend, or with a colleague, and ask for honest and constructive feedback on your design and your presentation skills. You can also record yourself and watch it later to identify any areas that need improvement.

5 Be open and receptive

During the critique session, you should be open and receptive to the feedback you receive, even if it is negative or unexpected. Remember that the purpose of the critique is to help you improve your design, not to judge you or your work. Listen attentively, ask questions, take notes, and thank the participants for their time and input. Avoid being defensive, dismissive, or argumentative, and try to understand the perspective and the rationale behind each comment. You don't have to agree or act on every piece of feedback, but you should acknowledge and appreciate it.

6 Follow up and reflect

After the critique session, you should follow up with the participants and thank them again for their feedback. You should also review and organize the notes you took, and identify the key insights, suggestions, or issues that emerged from the critique. You should then reflect on how the feedback aligns with your goals, your design, and your criteria, and decide what actions you need to take to improve your design. You may also want to share your reflections and your next steps with the participants, and ask for their further input or support if needed.

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?