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Responding to design criticism

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by maryweilage

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The June 18 edition of the Design and Usability Tactics e-newsletter offers tips on how to respond to design criticism.

How do you generally respond to design criticism? What tactics have worked well for you, and which ones haven't? Do you tend to react to criticism differently if it's coming from a peer rather than a client? Will you utilize the author's advice the next time your work is criticized?

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by rob

I hope we're all not such a self-opinionated bunch that we think that everything we do is brilliant!?
We should always listen to criticism, or feedback in any form. Depending on the situation, stop and ask why the person is criticising you. If it's a customer then the advice given in the article is worth following.
If it's a colleague - is the criticism valid? Self honesty here helps a lot. You may not realise that your work/behaviour has upset your workmates. This criticism may allow you alter behaviour that will stand you in good stead in the future.
Remember - if you can't take criticism, don't try to criticise others...

by startiming

Beware of flatterers!

But seriously, criticism should be viewed as conversation. If we are using the wrong yellow or last year's model that needs fixing. If the wrong yellow and last years model were specified, the customer pays, but we fix withdelight.

Sometimes what the customer wants might cost us some work or new software -- or limit some visitors. Drop menus is an example. Estimation of increased costs is in order with an explanation.

Sometimes its simple. Do we underline the links or not?

More difficult is the global criticism of wrong feel or wrong attitude. Then examples need to be exchanged. Generally we need to expect many customers to have no idea what they want until what we offer is NOT it. Therefore the cost ofinteractive design should be somewhat allowed for in the original pricing. Then we can accept criticism and make changes without losing money.

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