How to conduct a Design Critique Workshop?

When ?

A design critique workshop is usually conducted after designers have completed their initial design work and have a set of design concepts or prototypes to review and discuss.

Getting Started

A design critique is a guided conversation between the designer and the larger team to get feedback about work-in-progress designs. The goal is to improve the quality of the product and user experience using holistic feedback. This is done by identifying problems, clarifying doubts, discussing unknowns, and considering different perspectives.

Design Critique workshops are helpful in continuous design quality improvement.

How-to?

1. Define the objective: Begin by defining the objective of the design critique workshop. This could be to evaluate the design against specific criteria, to identify areas of improvement, or to generate new ideas.
2. Set expectations: Make sure everyone understands the purpose of the workshop and the expected outcome. Set clear expectations for the feedback that will be provided, and encourage constructive criticism.
3. Share designs: The designer presents their work to the group, explaining the design decisions and the problem they are trying to solve.
4. Evaluate designs: The group evaluates the designs based on the established criteria. This could include aspects like usability, accessibility, aesthetics, and functionality.
5. Provide feedback: The group provides feedback to the designer. Encourage constructive criticism and ask the group to provide specific suggestions for improvement.
6. Prioritize feedback: Prioritize the feedback based on the impact it will have on the design. Decide which suggestions are most important and should be addressed first.
7. Discuss potential solutions: Collaboratively discuss potential solutions to address the feedback. Brainstorm ideas and encourage participation from everyone in the group.
8. Agree on next steps: Agree on the next steps for the designer to take, including any changes to be made to the design and any additional research or testing that may be necessary.
9. Followup: Schedule a follow-up meeting to review the changes made to the design and to discuss any new feedback or ideas.

Remember to stay focused on the workshop objective, and encourage open and honest communication. Design critique workshops can be an effective way to improve the quality of a design and generate new ideas, but they require active participation and collaboration from everyone involved.

Do’s & Don'ts

Templates 

• Design Critique Template from Miro.
• Design Critique Template from Mural.
• Design Critique Workshop Template from Figma Community.

Suggested Tools

• Google Docs
• Figma
• Miro
• Post Its
• Whiteboard & Markers

References

• 5 Powerful Do’s & Don’ts of Design Critique from Adobe.
• What is a design audit and how do you conduct one? 
• Tips for a Productive Design Critique.