Jun 10
Design Critiquing
2008 at 01.29 pm posted by Veerle Pieters
Everybody has an opinion and tastes differ. That’s why you can’t create a design that everyone will like. Also, and this is what my article of today is about, there is a world of difference between designing for a personal project for instance your own blog, or designing for a client project. The final result may not always be as you would have prefered because there is the client’s wish. In the end you might even agree with certain critique that people have on the design of a project…
What people sometimes forget
I often notice that people are giving critique to the designer rather than the design itself. They make it personal while it's not a personal project, but even then it's still not the right approach. They don't consider the fact that certain decisions are there due to the client's request. It's easy to say "I don't like it", but it's harder to explain "why" or even more valuable, propose a "better" solution. Critique can be good, whether it's positive or negative, only if it makes sense and when it has a constructive meaning. I also believe you should always identify yourself. Users who give negative critique of no value often hide their real name, which tells a lot about the person really. My rule of thumb is if you can't stand behind what you're saying with your real name you shouldn't be talking.
You just can't please them all
It's always easier to identify something with some real examples. Let's go back to SXSW when Ellislab previewed ExpressionEngine 2.0. Take the forum and show 2 negative comments to see what I'm talking about.
There something about the big fonts, colors, icons and gradients that make it very unappealing to me, I prefer refined, subtle, clear and professional.
My opinion echoes yours. This gui is 5 years too late - big type, rounded corners, gradients, watermarked backgrounds… burp.
These are typical examples of critique that have no value. You could even consider them being a tad offensive. Not that this is a surprise of course, like I said it's impossible to have everybody love your work. Tastes just differ and everybody has an opinion. When you start out as a designer and you show your work to the world it can be a bit annoying sometimes when people start to judge you without knowing the full story of what went on during the design process. People don't consider that certain decisions/changes might have been made during the design phase and that the new design isn't what you initially proposed. I'm talking in general of course, so I'm not referring to this particular project here, please keep this in mind while you read this. I promise once, ExpressionEngine 2.0 is launched I will write about the design process in detail. It's just that this made me think again about the subject of giving design critique in general. Patterns that keep repeating and I thought maybe it's just better to write an article about how I feel about this and what my experience is in general.
Client work means compromising
If you design for a client, it'll happen a lot that you present work that you are 100% behind and that, if it was up to you you wouldn't change a single detail. You believe it's just perfect, but than the client says "I love it, but I had some different colors in mind". You can try to defend and negociate with the client, but in the end you need to do what's best for the project. In most situations it means making some kind of compromise. I always try to listen to the client, hear out his/her ideas and see if I can come up with something new, something he or she will like and I'm happy with as well. In some cases the client may suggest something you totally overlooked and he/she might give you some great ideas which will improve not only the functionality but also the design. I love when this happens. The designer might be the expert on the design part but it doesn't make him or her flawless. To me it sometimes feels as if I'm working in a team with my client. To me, his or her opinion is really important and I will ask him/her "what do you think of this?" as well. Sometimes I end up with something better and sometimes I will still prefer my initial version, but that's just a thing you have learn to deal with as a designer. The end result is not always 100% exactly how you want it to be. If you would compare it to music it would be that you are the DJ and you don't spin the records for yourself, but for your audience. In the end you'll become a better DJ and you'll *get* the audience needs.
Personal work means total freedom
With personal work, it's just like it says, it's personal. It's 'your' work, your ideas etc. It's not about the client anymore, big difference. That's why I learned over the years that if people are giving negative critique on a client's project, not to take it personal, even though when people who are giving the critique are making it personal. Eventually I have learned to live with it, because if there is one thing you need to have as a designer, it's thick skin. Definitely now with blogs and all, people speak their opinions. Being a designer equals to being confronted with feedback from the client, that's just part of the job. If you can't cope with that, you can't do your profession properly imho. I don't think there are (m)any desgners who can say "each design I create, eveyone always loves it" or "every design I propose to a client I never have to change a thing. It gets approved, job done". Now that would be too easy. With client's work it's just different, the design sometimes takes a turn, and while it is still beautiful, it might not be as beautiful as you would have liked it. If you design for yourself, you are your own client and it's you that has to like it. Not that being your own client doesn't come without problems of its own :) Though it never hurts to listen and learn because valuable feedback is important and if it means you can improve certain things in your design then I see no problem why not. You should only be grateful in the end and it makes you a better designer :)
Some advice on critiquing
I could offer some real practical tips on giving critique or how to deal with it at the receiving end but then I remembered a great article by Jason Santa Maria from a few years ago. There is no way that I could do a better job so I recommend that you read his advice on the matter.
Don't want to deal with clients?
If you don't want to deal with clients directly and just want a cool design/developer gig why not check out some of the recent interesting job listings on our partner site Authentic Jobs.
36served
1
Great article - as ever. Critiquing is so often misunderstood but receiving and being able to give proper, useful, criticism is such a big part of being a designer. Thanks.
2
Usually I am the one who is being critiqued and I’ve learned how to deal with it and work with clients to make the site better for everyone by negotiation and seeing their vision. But recently I had to critique a friend/coworkers work because it wasn’t working with our CMS. It didn’t go over very well because while I offered suggestions and reasons WHY the first design didn’t work it was taken personally. Some designers are very touchy and take every critique and revision as a personal jab. :(
3
I believe that creative people generally takes critics more personal than others. I often hear ”This is my work, this is how I want it” from designers. A problem I’ve is to change a design to what I want but still keep the enthusiasm from the designer. I think this is a general issue when working with creative people but you’ve to deal with it in order to make amazing stuff. I’ve never heard an engineer say ”No, this are the functions I want in this product. Nothing else.”
4
Yes you are right ! it’s very difficult to deal with clients and what they want!! well, in the world, unfortunately there are those who understand what you meant with your design even if they don’t like it and those who just want to break you down, just don"t take attention on these ones ! even if it’s very difficult! i sure know haow mean words can be ... ganbatte !!
5
Great article, Veerle. I’m constantly awed by what people will say on a blog or in a forum about someones work. I think that the relative anonymity provides people with a way to hide. I welcome, even crave, well thought out critique.
It’s also helpful to remember that in client work our goal is the effectiveness of the design in the market it was designed for. Too often, people judge things as a 30-something web developer and not from the perspective of the target audience.
6
Very interesting article, as critique is VERY important for receiving a good feedback and continue to work efficiently on a project!
As you say, just saying “I don’t like it” doesn’t help at all and isn’t constructive!
7
Great article Veerle, as usual!
8
I’m curious, if ”that’s what the client wanted” is the reason behind the defense, then what’s the point of even enteraining critques?(good or bad).
I hardly judge any designer’s work anymore. because if the work is for a client, then i’m aware of the design constraints. if the work is personal, then it’s just pure subjective. whether i like or not has nothing to do with a designer’s competence.
9
It is so nice to hear this from a designer/blogger. Sometimes I feel as if I am on a raft by myself thinking, ”Does any one else have their designs changed like me?” It is nice to hear ”Yes” from a fellow designer. Thank you Veerle for a very refreshing article.
10
Good points. As a designer I would also say that I rarely finish a project thinking That turned out exactly as I wanted it to or Every design I create is really fantastic. I think we all often (usually?) have projects that we’re not happy with ourselves.
When I’m critiquing other sites I try to be really clear about the difference between my personal opinion and what I objectively think is a problem. I do the same when taking critiques of my own work - is this just this person’s personal bias or is it something I should consider? There’s a blurry line there.
I also think a lot of people have trouble differentiating between their personal tastes and what is/is not good. That goes for anything really - web design, fashion, movies, books etc.
11
Hey everyone - wondering your opinion on something because I just blogged about this today: As designers, do you think your personal opinion is the same as your professional opinion? I think that sometimes it can differ, but most of the time - they are actually one and the same. Any thoughts? - Eric
12
One of the problems with critiquing design work is that there is so much unknown information. What were the limitations of the design piece (budget, client requirements, etc.)? Who is the intended audience and what motivates them? Who are the competition?
There is a purpose to design than simply looking great. Other than art for art’s sake, design has to succeed in other areas. For most commercial work, it needs to sell (or lead to a sell), inform, and in some way bring a return on investment.
So, although other designers may love your work (or, on the other end of the spectrum, hate your work), ultimately, you should be asking, “does my design meet or exceed the client’s goals?” I’ve seen many works that won design awards but failed to meet the client’s goals.
Of course, you can’t measure the effectiveness of your design until after it’s been accepted by the client and distributed, broadcast, or in the case of a web design, launched. And even then, it takes days, weeks, or months until you know if you’ve succeeded, and then only if a system has been put in place to allow for measuring its effectiveness. But, the more experience you have with measuring the effectiveness of your work, the better understanding you’ll have with what is likely to work.
13
Veerle, another post that any young designer must need!
Commercial and personal projects… a massive and clear difference between the two, no question, yet so many ‘designers’ don’t realise this. They have their own ideas and design because its ‘cool’, showing off and trying to innovate when web design principles and standard usability need to be strived upon at every stage.
The worse fedback any designer can here is ”I dont like it.” Why not client?
Even ”We love every bit isnt that constructive.” As with anything nothing is perfect. Id much rather here thats impressive but we dont like because that we feel it doesnt do Y yet too much Z. That way the comments can reviewed, taken on board and then acted upon if necessary. That way the designer can learn, building experience with each project, critique and negative comment.
Being an EE user myself, it must be exciting to be involved, with v2.0 a product that has the makings of something very special indeed.
Great post and thanks for sharing.
14
I totally agree with the article. I’d like to add to it, that critique or feedback from the client is different from getting one from someone else about the end product although designers tend to handle it the same way - ”That’s my design...”.
When a client gives me feedback on something I try to find out what exactly he or she dislike, and try to get the REAL reasons behind them, eg: the client asks to make a text bigger, but maybe what he or she really wants is more focus on that bit, and you can do that in several different ways, eg: make it bold, use a different color etc. The client doesn’t always tell you why he, she wants a change but more often suggest a solution he, she thinks can solve his, her problem, and it’s our job to offer the best way to accomplish it.
I think this is part of the development process, and as many of you already said it should be something the audience needs, and not necessarily something you prefer.
With the other kind of critiques, you can’t really do much about them, try to learn from them if there’s any value, but definitely don’t take them personal.
15
Also, no design is perfect. After something is built, who doesn’t look at it thinking well if I did that again I’d change that and that and that.
I don’t mean whoppers like having a JS reliant navigation or something, but general layout and design decisions made early aren’t always optimal. The word is satisficing. At certain points pareto’s law (80 / 20 rule) kicks in and you have to say that’s enough. That’s the best I can do in budget, with what I know today etc…
I have been a bad critic of some mainly public sector sites in the past but I’ve moved way away from that approach over the last few years. True some people don’t get it - but my insulting them won’t improve that either.
And, like you mentioned, client constraints are economic bottom lines. And our direct employer, in many cases.
In fact I’d go so far as to say I’m worried by the person who designs something and then after its all said and done they’re content. A real designer should be screaming inside - that pixel… that widget… arrgghh!!! In an world full of options its enough to have enough of the right ones there to make an income out of your work. If that makes sense.
Say after me everyone - ”I will not criticise design, I’ll critique it.”
(And if they have a JS reliant navigation scheme then cat’o’nine tails)…
16
Nice article.
When it comes to design critiquing I must say we have a very good way to deal with that in the office: every design that is being sent to the client has to undergo internal QA feedback, which consists of comparing the client’s brief and expectations to the design itself as well to determine what could be improved or amended - with the understanding that the client may have given specific instructions (”I want this image on the front page”, ”I want the search box to be the pink of my logo”, etc).
The thing is, taste does play a great role, yet the goal is to produce a design that is to a (very) high standard and to the client’s satisfaction, and at the end of the day, that is all that matters in the industry :)
17
Thanks for sharing such a valuable experience. So true.
18
Thanks everyone for the interesting comments :)
Jin Y said:
I’m only speaking for myself now here, but what you are stating is hardly the single reason in almost every case I’ve experienced. Mostly there are a whole bunch of reasons why certain things in the design change or end up differently and a lot of communication went on before making that decision. Mostly only for small stuff the client might say I prefer this or that, but it doesn’t always mean I will disagree, I might agree and say ‘yes, you’re right’.
Kelly said:
Oh believe me revision work is a part and process on its own. It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a pain and the client brings your initial design down. I have experienced the oposite effect in many cases, that the design gets better in the end because it serves its purposes better or because it improves functionality. Sometimes it can be a pain and then you need to defend your ideas in a tactful way why you think what the client is suggesting isn’t a good idea. If I have no choice but to follow the client’s wish I will try to solve the problem and still try to come up with something we will be both happy with. It’s important to stand behind what you create.
Eric said:
For me it is the same. If people ask me to give feedback on their site I will approach it from a professional angle. I’ll always try to add a positive note or something they can work with to improve even if the feedback is rather negative in general.
Peter Moricz said:
That’s well said. I agree, that’s how I see it too and how it happens a lot in the revision phase of the design.
19
When giving a critique I use the sandwich method which I think works well.
I start with one thing that I think works, then follow with something that need improvement and follow that up with something that works well. Tends to make the other designer more receptive since you’re being positive.
20
I find that my personal opinion and my professional opinion sometimes differ. There is some overlap there but it’s not always the same. For example, as a woman I could see a design that is overtly masculine and find that it doesn’t appeal to me personally. From a professional perspective I could look at the same design and think that it is really well done and appeals to the target audience etc.
Personal opinions are not invalid. If the target audience for that site was young men then sure, my opinion doesn’t matter much. On the other hand, if I am part of the target audience then my personal opinion has value.
21
Great article! I’ve noticed that a lot of people tend to give critiques meant to pad their own egos rather than to give constructive criticism meant to improve the work.
22
I agree with those who point out the critique should be about what’s working and what’s not. I don’t think you can leave personal preference out completely, but you can try. Understanding your personal preferences, and those of your clients, helps.
I’ve always found that I react better and get better reactions to criticism that respects the designer’s choices. Leave the (attempts) at witty put-downs to the movie critics who are trying to make a name for themselves. This isn’t a ten-worst-dressed list, it’s work that a designer spent time on that’s presented for your review. Presented, as in “given a present”!
Even if the work is bad--I mean, not working-- anyone will appreciate an effort to find the parts that work well. A sense of humor helps as well.
23
Are you sure this is a post about design critique, and not a defensive move after the overly negative response to the EE2.0 backend design?
24
Wolf said:
Now that’s funny because I had to search hard to find a real example for EE 2.0 to show what I mean. Guess you were at SXSW too and you saw how negative people reacted. I was crying in a corner :) If I would write an article every time some troll says harsh things about me or my tutorials/design I can fill a book. When you are in the spotlight you get 10x times more shit than a small blog. Try Digg and read, people are so polite there. If things would get to me I was already on Prozac. I just wanted to show a real life situation that’s all and if you see things otherwise that’s your opinion ;)
25
This is what I think:
Designers work for the end user, not the client.
If your client wants a red font over a red background, you must persuade your client… in a very good maner, to trust you on that, and then, as a designer, to take that decision.
A client look for your help because he is NOT a designer, he need somebody who can decide the many things that matter into design.
We design for end users, we are not designing because we like flowers and little horses, we design because “form follow function”, and the beauty on this is that we can manipulate or configure aesthetics to deliver a great functional design.
26
Grant said:
Another thing I find is that people will sometimes ask for a critique with the sole intent of padding their egos. They don’t really want a critique, they want people to tell them how great their design is. So when you offer some constructive feedback they either blow you off or argue with every point you make. Waste of your time.
I always try to read the intent of the request if I can: does this person really want feedback? Do they need you to be gentle or can you go all out?
27
Nine time out of ten the client knows absolutely zip about design, so in certain instances you must guide them in the aesthetics of design. No, a bunch of dancing teddy bears is not a great idea.
As far as critiques go I have my own personal mantra; if you can’t design anything better yourself, then you shouldn’t be telling others how to do it.
28
This was a really good article and very useful. I think that from my own experience, I have found that sometimes clients don’t know what they want but they have ideas about how it should look, which can make it difficult. Trying to get them to see what is good design, or what might work best for their site isn’t always possible. I had one guy who wanted minimal colors, a small size sans serif font, and a minimalist look. When I did that for him, he later changed his mind and went off in a totally new direction with the site. I knew that while I was creating the site, some things were not good - i.e. a lack of background color, but he insisted the site look that way. I think that ultimately, someone later convinced him otherwise, but he also had to learn it himself. There were some good features about the design I created like the photo headers which they reused in the new design, and there were also some nice features added in the new site, too, but in some ways it was also lacking in other areas. So each designer does have an opinion and can see things quite differently. I didn’t like the fact the design as reworked with the photo headers I had created initially, but since the person had paid me for it, I felt it was his choice, ultimately.
I think you have to find a way to please your client, while not allowing them to steer the whole design process when they don’t know what they are doing. I think this can be difficult unless you have a lot of experience and expertise yourself. When you are learning, it is just another learning experience to also deal with the clients and their personalities! But you should also give yourself credit, and not allow their mistakes or ideas affect what you know you can do, too.
29
Doug C said:
I disagree with this. It’s a common sentiment but when you look at it it doesn’t always hold. For example, think of movie critics or sports coaches. Movie directors! Do they have to be fantastic actors? No,and often they are not. Often the best coaches were very mediocre athletes.
Being able to coach, direct, teach, or critique takes different skills. You have to understand the medium but you also have to have a critical eye, which not everyone has. You have to be able to articulate and explain the problem in a way that makes sense for the recipient.
It is entirely possible to have these qualities in design without necessarily being a brilliant designer.
I also think that all points of view are valid in a ciritique. This is something I try to encourage in beginning designers. Often people will shy away from writing critiques because they feel they don’t have enough expertise. Even if it’s more personal opinion at first, developing those critiquing skills can really improve a designer’s work.
30
I have found that people are too critical too quickly. I’m afraid I haven’t developed as thick a skin as I should have. When I hear people being critical of someone else’s creative work, I always want to ask them why they haven’t done it better themselves? I find that usually the worst critics are the least talented. This puts me in mind of a person I dated who looked at an oil painting that my 81 year old grandfather did of a mountain range and commented that the painting wasn’t very professional. Yeah, well my grandfather only started painting when he was 80, so give the old guy some encouragement and kudos, not the “that’s not very good” kind of feedback!
31
To me it matters who is giving the critique especially if it isn’t positive. If that person is someone I look up to and I consider highly talented I will take the critique more serious then from somebody I don’t know. If I don’t know the person, then the ‘tone’ of the critique is important. I always try to read between the lines. You can tell if that person’s intention is to get at you personally or not. My experience is that the people I know, who are also designers or who have a good insight in these things will do this in a professional way with good intentions only to help and that’s how I think it should be and that’s what I appreciate as well. I don’t want them to pad and my back and tell me hey good job. Well, OK I won’t stop them from doing that either ;) but I want honest critique and I want that they look at it without thinking of me or who created it, just a neutral honest opinion, positive or negative. Something I can work with.
32
Veerle said:
I couldn’t agree more. I have often told people that there’s no benefit for the recipient by simply telling them ‘Oh that’s great!’ when in reality it isn’t. This doesn’t help them at all and it certainly will not bode well for their future efforts if they think every clunky design they make is great.
33
I like your take on critiques. All of your points are quite valid. I like your clean look. Keep up the good work!
34
not quite… here you’re telling me that the client is the same thing as a dj’s audience, which surely isn’t true. instead, it would make more sense to say the client is the person who hired you to DJ (say, the owner of the club), and the audience is just the audience--not the person/company you are designing for, but the people their service/product/whatever will be marketed towards.
just remember--while the client (hopefully) will have some insight on the audience, the client is not the person/business you are really designing for.
35
brandy said:
That’s what I was saying as well because why else would I use audience when I refer to just one person? That’s also why I said you *get* the audience referring to understanding the end users. You only said it better than me. Writing isn’t always easy when English isn’t your first language. It’s maybe a bit confusing because I placed it under client work but I was writing it from the perspective that a good client understands his audience.
36
Yeah we as designers need to remember not to take crit personnaly. I have been guilty of being to sensitive.
On the negative side I have worked at place were I have been encoraged to give bad crits of sites to encourage clients to go for a new site design.