Design Critique Workshop

Definition: 

The goal of a critique workshop is to provide space in the design process so that design decisions align to user needs. Critique workshops can be a useful tool in helping teams:

• Evaluate existing content or designs with user needs as a lens
• Rapidly identify quick fixes for optimization
• Note necessary long-term evolutions or optimizations

 When & Why: 

Some common opportunities for critique workshops across a high-level design process timeline might be:

• At the beginning of a project, where the team reviews the existing design against known goals, heuristics, or principles in order to shape the new design
• As part of an iterative design cycle, where quick, regularly occurring critiques keep the design on track

Consider using a critique workshop as a checkpoint before new design projects begin, or at intermittent design reviews, such as when there is a need to:

• Understand how well the design supports usability heuristics or design principles established by the team
• Discuss the user flow through a design, by examining each screen or flow through the lens of a specific user group or persona
• Hear perspectives from different expertise areas and feedback from teammates with different job functions
• Explore the designs of competing products or other experiences that have elements or qualities that you want to achieve

Source: NNG