Shirt.Woot

I read it and thought it was well-reasoned, succinct, and quite sensitive.

I can immediately think of a few artists and critics on here who would do very well to closely read this short article and think hard on how it applies to themselves.

Though, yeah, it is woot, so it'll probably be teal deer all the way, or "nope, not me, doesn't apply to me at all, I'm awesome."

AdderXYU wrote:I like how the article notes that harsh criticism is still potentially valid criticism.

However, the article also implies that designers who are getting mixed or unhelpful criticism should take matters into their own hands and try to improve anyway, instead of blame critics or insist they know everything every time. Which is simply not going to fly at woot

CRITICS:
"...being able to separate useful feedback from cheap shots and misinformation is important. However, this is not an excuse to ignore comments that you don’t like. Unless you believe a critique was given in malice or ignorance, don’t be quick to dismiss it.

Here are a few tips to distinguish between the two:

* Specific.
Valuable feedback is always specific. It is clear, logical and defined. “The logo is ugly” or “I don’t like the color choice” are examples of useless criticism (if you get a lot of this, see #7 below).
* Actionable.
Constructive criticism should enable you to take immediate action. You should come away with a clearer idea of how to improve the concept and the path to follow.
* Objective.
Useful feedback is unbiased. It gives you a unique perspective without an ulterior motive. Objective criticism will always be even-tempered and appropriate."

DESIGNERS:
(#7)
"At some point, everyone has received vague, unclear or unactionable feedback. It’s a part of life. Unfortunately, unless you take the initiative, this type of feedback is more or less useless to everyone involved. However, if you’re willing to dig a little deeper, you may uncover things that no one else was willing to tell you. Start by asking open-ended questions that get to the core of the issue, questions like, “I want to understand your point of view. Could you please provide more detail?” or “How can I improve?” Ask for specifics and, above all else, honesty. These kinds of questions will help keep communication lines open and allow you to walk away with practical and concrete advice."