Articles by Tanner Christensen
Peek Inside a Facebook Design CritiqueTanner describes a design critique session held by Facebook designers for a student's workspace discovery app concept. The critique focused more on the problem the design aimed to solve rather than the visual design as the student had hoped. The discussion highlighted the importance of understanding the core user needs and problem before moving to solutions. The critique helped the student realize he needed to go back to his original problem statement and research to refine his design hierarchy and information priorities. The Facebook designers noted that asking questions, rather than giving prescriptive feedback, drove the most constructive critique.
- Four Things Working at Facebook Has Taught Me About Design Critique
Tanner shares four things he has learned about effective design critique from working at Facebook. 1. First, establish clear roles for presenters, audience and facilitators. 2. Second, ensure everyone understands the problem being solved. 3. Third, focus feedback on questions rather than criticism. 4. Finally, laptops and phones should be closed during critique to foster listening and questioning. Effective critique helps teams make better design decisions through open discussion.