Formulating Feedback

Before you start formulating and delivering feedback, 0:00 it's important to think about the appropriate time to deliver it. 0:03 Design tends to work best in environments where frequent and 0:07 honest feedback is encouraged. 0:11 It's hard to say when the best time might be because it's very contextual. 0:15 But you should give people feedback when they'll be receptive to it. 0:19 If they ask for some help, then give them your thoughts. 0:24 And if you see a lot of room for 0:27 improvement, ask them if their project is in a place we're it's ready for feedback. 0:29 Better yet, if there's no regular time scheduled for 0:36 critique, or if there's no retrospective time following a project, 0:39 consider adding it to your process or suggesting it to your coworkers. 0:44 Once you've identified the best time to give a critique, 0:49 it's time to formulate your thoughts. 0:53 This is the most important part, and let me show you why. 0:55 Let's say you just finished a new redesign for a website and 0:59 you show your coworkers, and maybe the reaction isn't what you hoped for. 1:03 Maybe they give you a thumbs down and 1:09 they say I hate that, or something like this looks worse than before. 1:10 That type of feedback is very subjective and not helpful. 1:16 It only describes someone's feelings and 1:20 it doesn't tell you why they feel that way. 1:23 You need something specific, objective, and constructive that you can build upon. 1:26 And when you give someone else criticism, they need the same from you. 1:32 Let's break down how to form feedback into three parts. 1:38 First, you want to describe the work. 1:42 Then, you want to interpret it by figuring out the goal of the work. 1:45 And then finally, you want to judge the work by identifying strengths and 1:50 weaknesses in the execution of its goal. 1:55 So let's examine each step. 1:58 First, start by describing the visuals using design vocabulary. 2:01 For example, you might describe a website's composition, and 2:06 point out how elements are grouped together. 2:10 You could identify areas where shape, color, and fonts are used for emphasis. 2:13 And perhaps other areas that use lower contrast to de-emphasize 2:18 less important parts. 2:23 If you need help with the elements and 2:25 principles of design, check out the notes associated with this video. 2:26 Second ask questions about the goal of the work. 2:32 Who is the user of this website, and what are they trying to accomplish? 2:36 Maybe it's a website that sells hats to sports fans. 2:40 Maybe it's a website for a bank that prides itself on being secure and 2:43 reliable. 2:47 Does this website feel familiar to you, and would you know how to use it? 2:48 What are some design patterns you recognize? 2:53 For more questions you can ask check out the notes associated with this video. 2:56 Third, identify the strengths and weaknesses of the work. 3:01 What parts of the design support the goal of the website and what parts do not? 3:06 Overall, do you think the work is successful? 3:11 And what would you change? 3:15 That's a lot to remember. 3:17 So in the next video, we'll apply these ideas to an example website. 3:18