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I will totally acknowledge that it is much easier for me to give criticism than receive it. It should be that way for all but the self-deprecating. Nobody wants to hear that their hard work is coming across as shallow or unimpressive – and of course you don’t say that. So how do you get the point across that you’d like them to go in a different direction?

I think it boils down to sympathy and clarity.

Sympathy

It is helpful to always keep a fresh memory of how it felt the first time a design of yours was cut-down. For me, the most memorable experience came from my two-dimensional design professor. It was one of my first classes as an art student and I already felt as if I was slightly behind in my general drawing and design knowledge. The project was to create a black and white mark (in ink) that accurately portrayed a famous landmark. We decided which landmark to focus on by drawing them out of a hat. I drew the Taj Majal.

I remember my initial excitement because the Taj Majal was already so iconic. I thought I could focus on the simple head-on view of the complex and get glowing feedback. I was wrong. My professor wouldn’t let simple execution pass as ingenuity. The point of the project was to get away from what is expected but still communicate the story behind the Taj Majal (which is fascinating if you don’t know it).

That same challenge was passed on from project to project, which is why my professor thought it important to get it right in my mind before I set off in the wrong direction for years. It wasn’t easy feedback to take. She basically told me that I took the easy road and wasn’t trying to challenge myself. But I’m remarkably grateful for that feedback in retrospect. She challenged my way of thinking creatively, but the one thing she never did was insult my ability. She must have experienced rejection of her art at multiple points along her path and she knew it was no indication of how successful an artist she might end up being.

There is a cliche that art is pure talent. Obviously talent plays a role, but it is just the starting point. There are a number of great artists and designers that don’t start out as the most talented in their small group of colleagues, let alone their city or country. If you look at the first few projects from artists that are seen as the trend-setters of our time you’ll see a lot of sloppy execution and shallow ideas. So the bottom line is that you should never insult someone’s talent. You don’t know where that talent (or lack of it) might lead if they get the right creative direction and are diligent in their work ethic. If you are sympathetic with their situation, never get personal, and never insult their ability, then you can focus on clarity in your feedback.

Clarity

Clear communication is one of the most vital characteristics of designers, design leads, and art directors. Simply telling a creative individual that you don’t like their design won’t go far in getting them to improve those design decisions the next time they approach the same creative problem. A lack of articulate critiquing can actually generate disruptive friction between the team and its creative managers. When all you want to do is get designers to hit a higher standard of excellence, the worst thing to do is aggravate or disengage them from their designs.

Oftentimes an intense negative reaction to a design is actually a series of quantifiable issues that can be identified if you focus and take the time to break down your response. For instance, the following design has a few problems. I apologize in advance if you were the designer of this site…

There are many elements here that you can start breaking down piece by piece. It isn’t enough to say that the design doesn’t look professional. I would start by saying something along the lines of, “I like the consistent use of teal in the logo and throughout the site. It creates a natural environment and tightens the bond between the website and the company.” Unfortunately in this case, there aren’t many more positive qualities to highlight before delving into the design issues present.

The key to having your constructive criticism actually heard and not immediately dismissed is in eliminating harsh or subjective feedback from your response.

You could say…

“The top-level and sub-level navigation are a little confusing because there is no hierarchy established through how the elements are being displayed. The links at the very top could easily be placed in the footer or have less influence on the page because the information isn’t as vital as the tabs Mystery Spot, Activities Collections, etc.”

“The body typography doesn’t feel customized to the site. The standard looking text gives the impression that it wasn’t paid attention to. If you plan to have a minimal design, you might want to make it obvious that all of the choices in the design were intentional and not simply overlooked.”

I could go on about a few other elements in this particular design, but that is the general point.

Why Give Constructive Criticism?

There are important benefits for both the designer and the person giving feedback. For the designer, it gives them an outside perspective of how their work is being viewed. It is easy for all of us to be satisfied with our first attempt at a design. Sometimes, we become so familiar with it that we can’t separate the work put in from how that work is communicating with the user. This outside perspective (assuming it is sympathetic and clear) can break a designer out of their rut and help them grow as a professional. This is especially important when a designer doesn’t feel like they need to improve or grow, because us design professionals can always get better and make stronger decisions the next time we approach a project.

The obvious benefit of constructive criticism for the person giving the feedback is that it elevates the overall quality of the particular design and of the designer as a whole. It raises the bar.