Problem Statement

There are many student projects designed and presented every quarter, and even more personal projects for portfolios or for personal growth. Critique is one of the best ways to improve projects for a variety of metrics, including design, content, accessibility, etc. Therefore, how might we create an intuitive platform for students to give and receive critique for their projects?

Research

Interviews were conducted with participants to get an understanding of potential user perceptions of critique. This involved their past experiences with critique and how it shaped their preferences for feedback. It was asked of them to explain what lacked in the current ways they searched out feedback from sources. From interview transcripts a process was undergone to ultimately find insights that would guide the design. The three main insights were as follows: critique to create community, importance of context for feedback, and an online space for critique was an area of need.

Personas

By analyzing the research, two personas were created, leading to a deeper understanding of the target demographic. The findings helped define their characteristics, goals, pain points, and desires. These personas also served as a foundation for crafting a journey map, offering a more detailed narrative of the problem to be addressed.

Early Ideation

Many early ideation processes were done, but one of the most beneficial for the project was “Crazy 8’s”. An exercise designed to create eight quick ideas in eight minutes. From this after a team discussion three new ideas were chosen to implement. They were a pop-up portfolio card for added context, a sprint function to incentivize critique in a certain amount of time, and a project archive with dates and project iterations.

Information Architecture

Final Design

Hero

Final Design Walkthroughs

Sprint Function

Participants were confused on the usage of the sprint button. For this we changed our initial idea to a plugin on Figma, with plans to expand with browser extensions

Critical was the first project I completed from start to finish, and I'm pleased with the results. The team's collaboration was excellent, with a strong foundation built on clear communication and everyone’s dedication. Whenever issues arose, we quickly addressed them in our meetings and found effective solutions.

The project provided valuable insights into this needs space. Our research revealed a clear desire for improvements in online critique platforms. As someone who has experienced critiques and has a love-hate relationship with them, it was refreshing to work on a platform that could benefit both myself and others. This experience also shifted my perspective on critique, thanks to learning from our participants during the research and my team members throughout the process.

Through this project, I grew as both a researcher and a designer, seeing firsthand how the design process can bring a project to completion. I enhanced my research skills, including usability testing and data analysis, while also developing my design abilities and becoming more proficient with tools such as Figma.

Reflection