It's crucial for everyone to be familiar with the structure of our feedback sessions to ensure they come prepared.
- Before the meeting, establish a channel for designers to share what they'd like feedback on, along with a brief description. These submissions will form the agenda items for our discussion.
- In cases where there are more requests than we can cover, presentations are prioritized based on immediate team and business needs.
- To ensure all agenda items are addressed, presentations should be time-boxed.
- During the critique, designers should provide context before presenting their work, including relevant research, customer feedback, and their stage of completion.
- Designers should specify the type of feedback they're seeking, whether it's open-ended or focused on specific aspects such as workflows or interfaces.
- Engage in a group discussion centered on the areas the designer has requested feedback on.
- Designate someone to take notes during the session to capture key points and action items.
I establish certain guidelines for critiques to ensure everyone remains focused on our objectives:
- Provide constructive feedback only. Comments such as "I wouldn't do it like that" or "I don't like it" are not considered constructive.
- Start with a question. Beginning with a question allows for a deeper understanding of design context and leads to more insightful feedback.
- Give feedback only on what the presenter has requested: Focus your feedback on the areas the presenter seeks input on to ensure relevance and effectiveness.
- Treat all participants with respect, creating an environment conducive to constructive dialogue.
You don't need a formal setting for a critique—just a screen to present. Before I worked remotely, I would hold critiques in more comfortable locations of the office, somewhere with couches, bean bag chairs, or another comfortable space. I would arrange for snacks and drinks and if time permitted, wrap up with a group activity. For remote sessions, you can recreate this experience by offering a food allowance, enjoying a drink over Zoom, and engaging in online group games. I find doing these things puts teams a bit more at ease when giving and receiving critical feedback.
While critiques serve a professional purpose, they're also opportunities to strengthen team relationships. They should be something to look forward to, not dreaded.
