Four Things Working at Facebook Has Taught Me About Design Critique

Everyone in a critique has a role they must play. The three roles we rely on are presenter, audience, and facilitator.

• The presenter is the individual sharing work, their role is to: Succinctly describe the problem being solved (or ideas being explored) and present design or content solutions they have come up with
• The audience's role is to: Understand the problem statement and context and ask a lot of questions
• The facilitator’s job is to: Create a schedule for each critique in advance, ensure that everyone in the group stays on the agenda, take notes during critique to help those presenting.

It’s immensely helpful to reiterate the problem being solved before showing any work in a critique.

Vocalizing the problem and context for the work—and why it’s a problem or idea worth tackling in the first place—helps establish a foundation from which productive feedback can be given