Heads up! To view this whole video, sign in with your Courses account or enroll in your free 7-day trial. Sign In Enroll
Preview
Video Player
00:00
00:00
00:00
- 2x 2x
- 1.75x 1.75x
- 1.5x 1.5x
- 1.25x 1.25x
- 1.1x 1.1x
- 1x 1x
- 0.75x 0.75x
- 0.5x 0.5x
Now that you have some idea of how to formulate feedback, let's try running through an example.
Resources
Smells Like Bakin' - This is the website we'll use for our example critique.
Related Discussions
Have questions about this video? Start a discussion with the community and Treehouse staff.
Sign upRelated Discussions
Have questions about this video? Start a discussion with the community and Treehouse staff.
Sign up
Let's critique an example website from
Treehouse at smellslikebakin.com.
0:00
You can find a link to this in
the notes associated with this video.
0:04
Let's start by describing what
it is that we're looking at.
0:09
This is a website for
a fictional cupcake bakery.
0:12
The first thing I notice is
that the light colored text and
0:16
illustrations contrast with
the dark red background.
0:20
The illustrations stand out because
they have a unique shape and
0:24
silhouette that's unlike the uniformity
found in the rectangular photos.
0:28
The photos themselves are very
high contrast and colorful.
0:34
I also see a button that
says browse our cupcakes.
0:38
The color scheme seems to mostly
be composed of red and green,
0:43
which are complementary since they're
opposite one another on a color wheel.
0:47
And the composition looks like
it's on a grid with columns,
0:53
where some items like the paragraph
at the top stretch across and
0:58
photos align with the text.
1:03
So now let's try to interpret
the goal of this site.
1:07
What does the site trying to accomplish?
1:10
Sometimes you'll be able to ask
the designer but other times,
1:13
you might have to answer that question for
yourself.
1:16
Like I said before, this is a website for
a fictional cupcake bakery.
1:20
But, let's read a little
bit of the copy here.
1:25
In the navigation, there's cupcakes, and
prices, and locations, and a contact link.
1:28
And the call to action button
says browse our cupcakes.
1:36
I feel like I've seen this type of
button on other websites before, and
1:40
it's familiar to me.
1:45
Because it doesn't have any
other similar buttons around it.
1:46
There are some negative
space with nothing there.
1:51
And it looks different in size and shape
and color than the other navigation items.
1:54
So, I have some confidence that this
will take me to the next step and
2:02
help me get cupcakes.
2:06
So overall, it seems to me that on this
website, maybe I'm expected to either
2:09
visit this bakery to buy cupcakes or
I can call them or place an order online.
2:14
And that makes sense because it lines
up with my experiences with other
2:20
food businesses where I can place
an order or just visit their location.
2:24
Now, how does that goal connect
with the visuals that I described?
2:28
That's the last part judgment.
2:34
Does this website make me want to
visit their store or place an order?
2:36
Usually, I saved the overall success for
last, but generally speaking, yes,
2:41
I think if I search the web for cupcake
bakeries and I came across this website,
2:47
I would feel comfortable enough to
order from them, but why is that?
2:52
Well, let's talk about what's
working in their favor.
2:56
The illustrations have a flat and
2:59
cartoon style that feels childish and
fun just like eating a cupcake.
3:01
It's not an essential food
that you need to survive.
3:07
It's frivolous and
something that should happy.
3:09
The contrast between the background and
the text makes it really easy to read and
3:14
the emphasis using
different font sizes and
3:19
colors as well as different
shapes in the case of
3:23
the browse our cupcakes button, makes it
easy to see the hierarchy of information.
3:27
I immediately know what's most
important and what's a smaller detail.
3:32
This builds my trust in them as a business
because it makes me feel like they're
3:38
organized, and they're not going to
forget about my order or something.
3:42
And finally, the choice of
a complementary color scheme with red and
3:47
green feels like a smart
choice because color
3:52
complements typically provide the maximum
amount of contrast and vibrant color.
3:55
The photos and the illustrations
really pop off the page and
4:01
almost feel like they're floating in 3D.
4:04
It makes me feel like this
company appreciates beauty and
4:06
that they're capable of making the pretty
cupcakes that you see in the photos.
4:10
Now what can be improved?
4:16
Well, I feel like the texturization
of the background and
4:18
the illustrations is a little heavy.
4:22
A little bit is okay to make it feel
like cut out paper or something, but
4:25
these look like they're actually
distressed, sort of like chipping paint.
4:30
It's not enough to turn me away,
but it's an easy adjustment.
4:35
I also think the copy at the top
could be a little more direct.
4:38
And maybe say something like,
we're a cupcake bakery in Orlando,
4:43
or something that gives me a very clear
understanding of what this website is.
4:47
Finally, I think the call to action button
could be improved with less texture and
4:52
more color contrast with a larger font.
4:58
The same color is used in the cupcake
directly to the right of it,
5:01
and that's a little confusing because
the cupcake cause such a unique shape
5:06
that my eye is pulled away
from that button at first.
5:11
Overall, I think this is a successful
design, just a few tweaks and
5:15
it could be even better.
5:20
There's always more that can be said
in a critique because you can endlessly
5:22
speculate on other possibilities,
but that about covers it.
5:27
So let's break that down one more time.
5:31
Make sure that your feedback
is objective and useful.
5:35
First, describe what you see.
5:39
Second, interpret what you see.
5:41
In other words,
what is the goal of the site?
5:44
Last judge strengths and weaknesses.
5:46
Does this site accomplish its goal?
5:50
It's easy to bring people down but
it's hard to build them up.
5:53
Before you give criticism to others
people, you should practice a bit
5:57
first and maybe ask others to critique
your work to see what you like and
6:02
don't like about what they said.
6:06
Like anything, it's hard to get it right
the first time, so keep practicing.
6:09
You need to sign up for Treehouse in order to download course files.
Sign upYou need to sign up for Treehouse in order to set up Workspace
Sign up