Design Criticism and the Creative Process

A presentation of Design Criticism and the Creative Process, originally published on A List Apart in January 2011. This presentation was for Ignite Toronto on February 10, 2011. The slides are Pechu Kucha style, meaning each slide is onscreen for 20 seconds before automatically advancing to the next slide. I discuss how to improve critiques and get more out of them. Read the original article here: http://www.alistapart.com/articles/design-criticism-creative-process/

Transcript

1. and the
   Creative Process
   Design Criticism
   Cassie McDaniel / @cassiemc
   

   View Slide

2. says Elbert Hubbard, American writer
   To avoid criticism:
   

   View Slide

3. photo by JMRosenfeld
   Good criticism guides good design
   

   View Slide

4. photo by JMRosenfeld
   Bad criticism impedes good design
   

   View Slide

5. Blank
   page
   Objective
   The ideal design process
   

   View Slide

6. The realistic design process
   Blank
   page
   Objective
   

   View Slide

7. Blank
   page
   Objective
   Feedback
   The solution
   

   View Slide

8. Difficult feedback
   !
   

   View Slide

9. Subjective criticism
   !
   

   View Slide

10. Establish clear, measurable goals.
    

    View Slide

11. Lack of clarity
    !
    

    View Slide

12. (Most people don’t)
    Speak clearly
    

    View Slide

13. Micromanagement
    !
    Make that headline
    2pt sizes bigger.
    3pt smaller
    bigger
    

    View Slide

14. Focus on the problem, not the solution.
    

    View Slide

15. It looks fine.
    Let’s go with it.
    Design apathy
    !
    

    View Slide

16. Talk about your rationale.
    

    View Slide

17. Too much negativity
    !
    colors layout type
    imager
    y
    hair
    buttons
    mood
    

    View Slide

18. Criticism is negotiable.
    

    View Slide

19. The better we
    communicate,
    The less we need
    to negotiate.
    

    View Slide

20. “Design Criticism and the Creative Process”
    www.alistapart.com
    @cassiemc
    Full article on
    www.cassiemcdaniel.com
    

    View Slide