Discussing Design

Improving Communication and Collaboration Through Critique

By: Adam Connor, Aaron Irizarry

Narrated by: Silas Brahams

Real critique has become a lost skill among collaborative teams today. Critique is intended to help teams strengthen their designs, products, and services, rather than be used to assert authority or push agendas under the guise of "feedback". In this practical guide, authors Adam Connor and Aaron Irizarry teach you techniques, tools, and a framework for helping members of your design team give and receive critique.

Using firsthand stories and lessons from prominent figures in the design community, this book examines the good, the bad, and the ugly of feedback. You’ll come away with tips, actionable insights, activities, and a cheat sheet for practicing critique as a part of your collaborative process.

This book covers:

• Best practices (and anti-patterns) for giving and receiving critique
• Cultural aspects that influence your ability to critique constructively
• When, how much, and how often to use critique in the creative process
• Facilitation techniques for making critiques timely and more effective
• Strategies for dealing with difficult people and challenging situations

©2015 Adam Connor and Aaron Irizarry (P)2021 Upfront Books

Good book on discussing design

To be honest I was expecting more of the book, a lot of the main points can be found in a few articles. Still enjoyed the content and it was useful to repeat the fundamentals again. Could be nice if the cheatsheet and extra materials are accompanying the audio book!

A few very important points for running successful critiques in any field of design.

I liked the sharp clear points, well supported with a lot of common sense reminders for even the most experienced designers to keep in mind. Pointing out the value from many angles and detailing all of the threats to successful collaboration helps bring the reader understand just how challenging it is to do well.

I couldn't tell if the narration was just a bit dry or if it was due to the writing, but the flat delivery, paired with the repetition of words and points sometimes made it easy to find my mind wandering.

This content is so important that I want to recommend it to others, unfortunately, I have to caveat the repetition so they can appreciate the message.

Great tips on getting and taking feedback

"Discussing Design" is a must-read for designers new and old who have ever struggled with feedback.

Good Foundational Book

This is a good foundational book on getting feedback on design or more specifically critique (why the design doesn't work and how it can be improved). This is different from feedback that is based on reactions or preferences (like "there are too many fields to fill out" or "those colors are ugly").