Design Critique

“In this way the participants were able to engage in a critical dialogue which they clearly enjoyed. It was evident our participants found pleasure in highlighting the flaws in our ideas and arguments. These dialogues became part of an iterative design process which is still ongoing.”

Vines et al (2012). Cheque Mates: Participatory Design of Digital Payments with Eighty Somethings.

Definition

Design critique is a practice of identifying what’s wrong with current designs and how we can make them better.

Context

Constructive design

Procedure

Design critique can be conducted in various approaches. One approach is through an individual reflection while another approach is through user participants.

Use Case

I used design critique to understand my own design philosophy. One design I am particularly critical of is the new USB-C ports on Apple computers. I see this product as another case of Apple forcing a change on users without making it an easy transition. To use a USB connection, new MacBooks require a $20 adapter. This punishes users who still rely on USBs for most accessories and are unfamiliar with the new connection. While the USB-C ports have greater capabilities, taking away the standard USB port is unfair because it forces people into buying a product they never intended to buy. In addition, the adapter is inconvenient to use. People should not have to be penalized for design improvements. A better way to transition to the new USB-C port would have been to also include the standard USB port for people who still need to use it.

Data Analysis

Regardless of the specific approach, it’s important to unpack the meaning behind the critique. Critiques are subjective, so it’s important to understand why you or someone else feels a certain way. This takes a level of analysis and interpretation. The goal of design critique is to uncover the qualities that make a design bad. Don’t just complain, but also try to explain the reasons for poor design and how to improve upon them.