Critique: observations that continually ask, “Why?”

Participation in critique is a critical component of being a successful designer.  As designers, we are expected to be creative as well as articulate when presenting our work to stakeholders, clients, and peers.

In this class, our critiques are designed to helping you make your projects better and yourself better as a designer.

Each critique will have specific guidelines, questions, and a process.

Do:

• • Consider the goals of the piece
  • Consider the arrangement and relationships of the elements on the page
  • Avoid “I like this” or “I don’t like that” kind of statements
    comments should be substantive.
  • If something isn’t working, articulate why, so that the designer can fix it.
  • Identify and articulate the problem that your suggestion would help fix
    so that the designer can address that issue.
  • Have a critique buddy to take notes for you when you are presenting

Remember:

Every project can be better.

• • No project is ever perfect or complete
  • We all start with the same assignment
    so, we all understand that we have something to learn from getting feedback.

As a community, we, the professor and students agree to:

• • Respect and accept that people from different contexts and cultures communicate differently, approach conflict in different ways, and use a diversity of language expressions.

  • Listen and give credit to others for their contributions.

  • Offer opinions and ideas that are concise and pertinent to the discussion.

  • Work toward specific steps or actions, but accept non-closure.

  • Be willing to disagree in the pursuit of common goals and solutions.

  • Share the responsibility for keeping these norms.

In this course,

Critiques are designed to be learning experiences, and provide a forum to review the work of your classmates. Most importantly critiques serve as practice for critically viewing and discussing design—specifically how our design decisions function in the smallest details and impact the larger cultural systems through which our designs exist.

Through the critiques, you will receive valuable feedback on your own work in order to improve upon your outcomes. The critique process is a collaborative effort where discussion and analysis of individual work lead to a deeper understanding of the principles and problems that each assignment addresses. By adding your voice you’ll contribute to the ongoing dialogue of the course. Techniques of constructive criticism serve to help projects evolve and become more successful over time.

excerpts from Department of Art, Art History, and Design | Michigan State University

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