Is your critique Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde?
A skilled doctor can accurately identify the cause of a patient's symptoms and prescribe a course of action that will correct the problem, resulting in the patient's improved health or even saving their life. In the hands of an unskilled doctor, a patient faces the possibility of no recovery, further illness, or even death.
In any creative project, the most important moment is the moment of critique. That's where a diagnosis is given which directs the next course of action. Like a doctor's diagnosis, a critique can greatly improve the health of a project, or destroy it, all dependent on the skill of the one who gives the critique.
So how do you give a successful critique to ensure the success of the project? Here are some guidelines that can help you give the accurate diagnosis your project needs.
1) Know your project's goals
The goals of the project should have been clearly written out at the project's beginning. If you don't have clearly defined goals, call an ambulance immediately.
2) Identify what is reaching towards the goal and what isn't
This isn't always as easy as it sounds. Before you decide whether a specific change is needed or not, ask yourself "If left unchanged, does it help reach the goal, work against the goal, or have no effect?"
3) Remain objective
After doing #1 and #2 above, you are ready to give objective feedback that moves the project towards its goals. Try to avoid over using "I like" or "I don't like," as the word "like" implies a subjective opinion. Instead use terms like "This works (or doesn't work) because," which leads to more objective thinking.
4) Point out what is good
Often times in critiques, it's easy to just point out all the "bad" things. It's important to speak up about the good things for two reasons. 1) When those responsible for the creative work know what is working well, they can use those things as guidelines when addressing the things that aren't working. 2) When creative personalities only hear negatives about their work, it diminishes their interest in the project. Keeping a creative's interest in a project will almost always result in a better product.
5) Respect others' expertise
Remember that the person or company doing the work is doing so because they have skills or expertise in their field. You don't have to agree with them, but do recognize their authority in their field.
6) Timing
Critiques need to be given at times in a project when action can still be taken. As with sickness, an early diagnosis is far more beneficial to one's health than one that's too late.
These guidelines are more first aid than med school, but hopefully you'll be able to apply them and keep your next project healthy.
A California resident for most of his life, Dave has extensive design experience ranging from feature film visual effects and animation to web programming. This deep cross-discipline skill set and his commitment to excellence serve him well here at Cre8tive Group.