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Digital Tool for Critique




Project Type
UX Research & Design

Duration
3 months

Role
UX Strategist

Responsibilities
Sejin Hwang Lead Researcher & Strategist
Dr. Rebecca Eynon Supervisor About

Current research highlights two key points in design education: 1) design students often struggle with soft skills, and 2) critique in academic studio settings holds significant potential.

To explore this further, we conducted stakeholder interviews with students, educators, and professional designers, and used the insights gained to develop a concept tool aimed at enhancing soft skill learning through critique, better preparing students for their future careers.



Project Background

Recent research highlights a critical need for design students to improve their soft skills, particularly communication. 

  • 58% of junior designers struggled to effectively communicate their ideas during presentations or client meetings (DMI, 2020)

  • 62% of employers identified communication issues as a primary concern when hiring entry-level designers (AIGA, 2021)


To explore this issue, I conducted a Literature Review on the topic. 


Literature Review   

To gain a deeper understanding of the problem space, I conducted an extensive review of literature on design education, designer skill requirements, student transition to industry, professional design practice, and the critique environment. This comprehensive review provided the foundation for framing the research questions and identifying the key themes and issues that would be further explored in the study.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
  • The skillset for designers has expanded to include advanced communication skills, empathy, and independent decision-making. Entry-level designers often struggle with communication in cross-functional settings and need better preparation in these areas from their education.


  • Critique is essential for student learning, helping to develop professional identity, critical thinking, and communication skills. However, there are concerns that current critique practices may not fully prepare students for the realities of professional practice. The structure and delivery of feedback in critiques need to be re-evaluated.

Summary of Lit.Review Process




Design Challenge


How might we enhance student learning from critique experiences to better prepare their soft skills for the industry?


Research Objectives                                 

  • Explore how recent graduates utilize skills and insights gained from academic critiques in their professional roles.

  • Identify aspects of critique that support or hinder graduates’ performance in the industry.

  • Investigate potential gaps and propose improvements to better align academic critique with industry practices.
Research Questions                                             

  • How do recent graduates in the field apply the knowledge gained from critique environments in their work settings?

  • What challenges do students face in improving their communication skills for the industry through the current critique experience?

Assumptions                                                                                                                             
  • Current educational practices may not adequately prepare students for the real-world demands of the industry.

  • Specifically, the critique environment in design education, which is meant to simulate professional feedback and collaboration, may not accurately support students in developing communication skills

  • Existing discrepancies in critique can lead to difficulties for recent graduates, particularly in communication and soft skills when working with non-design professionals in interdisciplinary teams.


Methods                                                                                                                                                                                            In-depth Interviews
  • Semi-structured, Virtual, 45mins

  • 6 participants in three groups with a screener
    •  Recent Graduates (graduated within the past 2 years) 
     Design Educators (with 10+ years of teaching experience)
     Professional Designers (with 3+ years of mentorship experience)

  • Interviewed 3 areas:
  1. academic critique/review experience
  2. industry critique/review experience
  3. academia & industry comparison on design education







Results



                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Voice of non-designers is needed



  • The current academic critique environment focuses too much on design expertise, limiting students' exposure to non-designers. 

  • This makes it difficult for recent graduates to collaborate effectively with professionals in other fields when they enter the real world. 

  • Additionally, there is no space for students to discuss guest critics before or after the critique sessions.








                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Need to move away from a 
verbal-oriented setting

  • The current communication structure of classic critiques primarily benefits students who already possess strong communication skills. 

  • To reduce the pressure on students who struggle with public speaking, it’s essential to provide them with opportunities to share feedback non-verbally





                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Better feedback management is needed

  • Both educators and senior designers suggest more constructive methods to capture feedback to address issues of hierarchy and loss of information.

  • Recent graduates also found the current approach less effective, as it often leads to students being preoccupied with note-taking, hindering their ability to fully engage in communication with peers and guest critics.








Opportunities

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Innovative Critique Tool


Consider creating a new critique tool that encourages a balanced critique style combining constructive feedback with empathy. Facilitate better communication training and tool exploration, allowing students to freely engage in the critique space while effectively storing feedback from professionals or peers.


Key Areas to Tackle

  • Easily receive non-designer feedback

  • Share feedback non-verbally

  • Better record and manage received feedback




Define Users & Products

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

    Det    ailed User Persona
    Current/Future State Journey Map

    Summary of Competitive Analysis

    Sitemap/User Flow

    Wireframe Exploration