Design Critique
A structured review session where design, product, or creative work is evaluated against specific goals — not personal taste. Unlike an informal review, a design critique separates observation from opinion, grounds feedback in user needs and design objectives, and gives the designer actionable input rather than vague impressions. The antidote to 'I don't like blue.'
How to run it
- 1
The designer presents: (1) what problem they're solving, (2) who the user is, (3) what the design is trying to achieve. No explaining the design itself yet — just the goal.
- 2
Observers ask clarifying questions only (no feedback yet): 'Who is this for?', 'What's the primary action?'
- 3
Designers give a structured tour of the work.
- 4
Structured feedback round — each observer uses the framework: 'I notice [observation]... I wonder [question]... I suggest [specific recommendation].'
- 5
Designer listens without defending. Takes notes.
- 6
Optional: dot vote on the most important suggestions.
- 7
Designer closes with a brief statement of what they'll change and what they won't — and why.
Tips
'I don't like it' is not feedback. 'The primary action is hard to find because it competes visually with the navigation' is feedback.
The presenter's job is to listen, not defend. Train this explicitly.
Ground all feedback in user needs: 'A first-time user would struggle to...'
Keep critiques short and frequent — 30 minutes weekly beats 3 hours monthly.
Variations
Silent critique: all feedback written on sticky notes first, then read aloud — prevents the loudest voice from dominating. Remote critique: use Figma comments or Miro annotations for async reviews.
Where it fits
Related methods
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