Giving Critique
The Framework
For every piece of feedback, hit three points:
- Observation — What you see (factual, not opinion)
- Impact — Why it matters (connects to goals, users, or principles)
- Direction — What to explore (not prescriptive, but generative)
Example:
- Observation: "The CTA is the same visual weight as the navigation links."
- Impact: "Users scanning the page won't know where to click first."
- Direction: "Try increasing the size or contrast of the CTA, or reducing the visual weight of the nav."
What Good Critique Sounds Like
- "I notice [observation]. How does that serve [the user/the goal]?"
- "This works well because [specific reason]. What if we pushed it further by..."
- "The hierarchy here reads as [X] before [Y]. Is that the intended priority?"
- "I'm drawn to [element], but I think it might compete with [other element]."