📖 Why You Should Read It
Great design doesn’t happen in isolation—it thrives on thoughtful critique. Discussing Design provides a framework for giving and receiving critique effectively, helping designers foster a culture of constructive feedback rather than opinion-driven debates. Whether you’re leading a team or working solo, this book teaches you how to improve your designs through structured, purposeful discussions.
👉🏻 Key Takeaways
- Critique is a discipline, not just a fancy word for feedback. It’s a structured way to assess whether a design meets its objectives.
- Details matter. Ignoring small design elements can lead to big usability problems.
- Critique should be structured. Consider: What is the design’s objective? How do specific elements contribute? Are they effective? What new problems might the design introduce?
- Anti-patterns kill critique culture. Avoid dismissing feedback, not asking for it, or failing to listen actively.
- Good critique requires preparation. Be ready to listen, reflect, and understand the rationale behind feedback before responding.
- Critiquing your own work helps build resilience. Practicing self-critique makes receiving feedback easier.
- Design Studios foster iteration. A structured approach involves quick sketches, critique, revisions, and refinement through teamwork.
- Design Reviews drive alignment. They help secure approval and uncover necessary changes to reach sign-off.
- Separate analysis from problem-solving. Trying to process feedback while solving design problems splits cognitive resources and weakens both efforts.
💬 Favorite Quote
Good critique is comprised of three key elements: It identifies a specific aspect of the idea or a decision in the design being analyzed. It relates that aspect or decision to an objective or best practice. It describes how and why the aspect or decision work to support or not support the objective or best practice.
