The Unwritten Rules of a Great Design Critique

**not that anyone reads these articles…

For the most part, web designers work in teams or at least collaborate with other designers and/or developers. This means that at some point in your career you will be involved in many design critiques — some formal and some informal. Sometimes you’ll be the target and at other times you’ll be the one aiming so it’s vital to know how to handle, react and properly conduct yourself during these collaborative sessions.

Design critiques are awesome and they are a huge, gigantic educational opportunity for you, no matter what side of the fence you’re on. If held properly they are very good opportunities to collaborate and learn from other designers and developers. Some firms or companies have very specific guidelines and goals to follow during design critiques but what are the general unwritten rules of a great design critique?

We’ll talk about each one in more detail, but first let’s set the table. Here are ten unwritten (until now) rules you should keep in mind for your next design critique. They are written generally and should be applied to both sides of the equation.

  1. It’s Not About You
  2. Maintain Respect and Honesty
  3. Avoid Meaningless Words and Phrases
  4. Comparisons Should be Used Sparingly
  5. Be Specific
  6. Remember those Design Principles
  7. Understand the Design Approach and Context
  8. Ask Why
  9. Offer Suggestions
  10. Consider the Goals and Audience of the Design

via The Unwritten Rules of a Great Design Critique | Codrops.