Critique Article

Scott Berkun does an extremely good job of pointing out the importance of critiques, while at the same time discussing the methods that can be taken to provide and accept good, constructive feedback. Berkun emphasizes several extremely important points of a critique: to understand and evaluate the intention of the piece before criticizing, to refrain from imposing personal preferences onto someone else’s works, and to maintain a balance of positive and negative feedback.

I agree also on his point that the creator has to refrain from commenting while others are critiquing. This does often lead to defending the piece, when the piece needs to speak for itself. At the same time, I’m glad that he points out the importance of discussion of the feedback. I’ve found that discussions after the critique help clarify feedback and strengthen communication overall.

While I agree with Berkun that critiques are meant to help strengthen the piece as a whole and guide the designer on how to do so, it is also important to remember that the ultimate goal is to help the strengthen the designer as an artist/creator as well. Overall, this article was extremely helpful and clear.