How to run a design critique that improves the work

What a critique is for

Nielsen Norman Group defines a design critique as analyzing a design and giving feedback on whether it meets its objectives. It separates critiques from design reviews, which usually evaluate a design against a set of heuristics.

Keep approval out of the room. A critique is where unfinished work gets better, and it can happen at any stage. If people expect a yes or no, designers bring polished work too late to change it.

Who does what

Small teams can combine roles, but someone has to own each job. Nielsen Norman Group suggests rotating the facilitator among team members.

• Presenter: the designer. Restates the goals, users and constraints, says what feedback they want, then mostly listens.
• Facilitator: shares the scope beforehand, keeps time, steers comments back to the goals and sends notes and action items afterwards.
• Critics: designers, researchers, product managers and engineers. They give feedback tied to the goals, not personal taste.
• Notetaker: records feedback in a shared doc as it happens, so the presenter can listen instead of writing.

Example agenda: 45 minutes, one piece of work

This is an illustrative agenda; adjust it to your team. The UK's Apprenticeship Service runs a similar 45-minute crit, and Nielsen Norman Group suggests starting with 30 minutes a week.

Related: Free AI meeting agenda generator →

Rules for useful feedback

The UK Government Digital Service calls feedback like "I don't like it" not useful, because it rests on personal opinion. Evidence from research and existing design patterns is what helps.

• Tie every comment to a stated goal. Ask whether the layout helps users finish the task, not whether it looks good.
• Bring evidence where you can: research findings, analytics or an established pattern.
• Name what works as well as what doesn't. Nielsen Norman Group's quota approach asks for two strengths and one improvement each.
• Ask questions before giving answers. The designer knows constraints you don't.
• Don't redesign in the room. Note the problem; the designer explores solutions afterwards.

Example: turning an opinion into feedback

Say a designer shares a new checkout form, with the stated goal of fewer abandoned orders. A critic says, "I don't like all the blue." That gives the designer nothing to test.

The facilitator asks how the color relates to the goal. The critic rephrases: "With three blue buttons, will people find Pay now quickly?" Now the note is specific, tied to the goal and something research can check.

Notes and follow-up

Afterwards, the facilitator sends notes and action items. Group them by theme, mark which comments the designer will act on, and list open questions with an owner. The Apprenticeship Service puts crit outputs in a shared workspace and prioritizes changes in the delivery backlog.

If you record the critique in Bridge, the notes give you a summary, decisions and follow-ups, and action items appear on Home. A custom recap template can shape notes around your own headings, such as goals, themes and next steps.

Related: AI meeting notes and transcripts →Free AI action item extractor →

Common ways critiques go wrong

Most failed critiques break one of the rules above. Watch for these:

• No stated goals or personas, so feedback drifts into taste.
• Sessions that run too long and cover too many projects.
• Problem-solving on the spot instead of collecting feedback.
• A presenter who defends every point. The designer isn't the design, so listen first.
• Only negative comments, which makes people stop sharing early work.
• No notes, so the same feedback comes back next week.