Learn more about design critique sessions

Now that you’ve learned about giving and receiving feedback as a UX designer, it’s time to learn about design critique sessions. A design critique session is a planned period where UX designers present their work to team members and listen to feedback. Critiques are a great opportunity to practice giving and receiving feedback to and from fellow team members.

During a critique, your team gathers to explore new ideas and possible directions for a design. These are planned ahead of time with an agenda and set objectives, so you’ll have time to prepare and bring fresh ideas to the table. Gathering together, whether in person or virtually, builds rapport and encourages collaboration across teams.

Design critiques roles

A design critique session is made up of three groups of participants:

• Facilitator
• Presenter
• Reviewer

Let’s explore each role in detail.

The facilitator of a design critique is in charge of running the critique session and guiding the feedback process. They may keep track of the time and create the agenda and goals for the meeting.

The facilitator is also responsible for ensuring everyone in the meeting is included and gets to share their ideas. Whether it’s because of a personality trait of an individual or a bias of the group, some people are going to be left out of the process if they’re not directly engaged. The facilitator makes sure each person gets an opportunity to share. Not all design critiques include a facilitator, but in many cases, especially when working with a large team, one can be very helpful.

The presenter is the designer sharing their work with the team throughout the session. This could also be a group of designers who worked together. They might share their designs directly from Figma or Adobe XD, like a screen share, or they might create a presentation in Google Slides or Microsoft PowerPoint with images of their designs. As a designer, you’ll often take on the role of presenter. Make sure you engage with others in the meeting and prepare to ask questions and offer feedback.

The reviewers offer feedback on the designs presented and what steps are needed to improve the designs. There are often multiple reviewers and multiple critique sessions to look at the design from different perspectives.

Additionally, there may be a fourth role of notetaker, who documents the ideas and keeps track of all the feedback so the conversations can flow without interruption. The notetaker will likely record notes in a digital document so the notes can be shared with the entire group later.

Together, all of these roles work to create effective solutions to strengthen your designs. Throughout your UX design career, you’ll get the chance to facilitate, present, and review in a critique session.

The design critique process

Design critiques can take many forms, depending on the work being reviewed and the number of participating members. Because there’s no one “right” way to conduct a critique, it’s important to prepare and plan the session ahead of time.

Typically, the facilitator opens the session by going over the meeting’s objectives and goals. These objectives should be clear and time-specific. For example, “We need to update all the current mocks before next week.” Then, the presenter shares their designs, during which reviewers start to prepare their feedback and gather any ideas or questions. Reviewers should jot down both what they like and what they’d like improved in the designs.

Reviewers should also take time to explain this feedback. The presenter will then clarify the feedback and guide everyone through their process for the designs. Lastly, the facilitator closes by addressing any lingering questions or topics not covered in the session.

Best practices for a critique session

When it comes to presenting in design critique sessions, preparation is key. This is your chance to showcase your work to your peers. Make sure you can tell the story of your designs. You’ll want to guide reviewers through your thinking behind the designs and explain how they align with the product’s goals.

To help you with this, focus on answering these five questions:

1. Who are you designing for?
2. What problem are you trying to solve?
3. How are your designs solving or not solving those problems?
4. Where in the design process are you?
5. What aspects of your designs are you seeking feedback on?

These questions help you boil down the core aspects of the designs so you can explain them better. Preparing answers will also help reviewers provide you with better feedback. Be mindful of the length of the session. You’ll need enough time to not just present but discuss your ideas with reviewers and allow for follow-up questions. One way to optimize this process is by sharing your designs with everyone before the session so that they can arrive ready to discuss their feedback with you

Receiving feedback

Processing feedback on the spot can be overwhelming, so don’t hesitate to ask reviewers to clarify their thoughts. You can also take time after the session to plan how you’ll apply the feedback you received during the session.

Actively listen to every comment you receive. Don’t interrupt reviewers or offer explanations unless asked to do so. Instead, focus on asking questions about their feedback to grasp their perspectives. Plan to have a notetaker to capture all of the feedback, especially if you know it will be a longer session. Knowing you’ll have notes to review later will allow you to focus on the discussion.

Once you’re ready to refine your designs based on the session’s feedback, review any notes and pointers so you don’t miss any of them. You are in charge of your designs, so you don’t have to incorporate every suggestion you receive; just be prepared to explain your choices once you share your designs with your team again. Consider whether you’re rejecting others’ feedback because you’re attached to the current version of the design or because your idea is actually a better fit for the user.

The value of a critique session

Critique sessions are a great way to sharpen your design skills and build relationships with your teammates. As a beginning designer, you’ll get the chance to become more comfortable with the process and broaden your perspective when it’s time to solve design problems. For more tips, check out this practical guide to running effective design critiques on Medium.

Sources: Google UX Design Professional Certificate

Coursera | Create High-Fidelity Designs and Prototypes in Figma