Design critique feedback
After a critique session: whether the feedback helped the work move forward, from the people in the room.
Worth a look
- Build a tower, build a teamTom Wujec, TEDThe marshmallow challenge: why kindergartners beat business-school graduates at building something together. (opens in a new tab)
- Forget the pecking order at workMargaret Heffernan, TEDThe superchicken experiment, and why a team of stars loses to a team that helps each other. (opens in a new tab)
- How Google builds the perfect teamInsider TechCharles Duhigg on what Google found when it studied its own teams: who's on the team mattered less than how they treat each other. (opens in a new tab)
- How to turn a group of strangers into a teamAmy Edmondson, TEDHow the Chilean mine rescue worked with people who had never worked together, and what any new project team can borrow from it. (opens in a new tab)
- How to build a company where the best ideas winRay Dalio, TEDRadical transparency at Bridgewater: recorded meetings and everyone rating everyone's thinking in real time. Fascinating whether or not you'd want it. (opens in a new tab)
More (2)
- The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick LencioniPatrick LencioniThe author walks through his pyramid, from no trust to nobody owning results. You'll know which layer your team is stuck on. (opens in a new tab)
- Postmortem Culture: Learning from FailureGoogle SRE bookHow Google writes up what went wrong without hunting for someone to blame, so people tell the truth next time. (opens in a new tab)
The conviction read: the presenter hears the comments, not how sure people were of them. A slow, hedged agree on 'specific enough to act on' says the room was polite more than useful, which a friendly tone can hide.
What's in the template
- I understood what kind of feedback the presenter wanted. puck
- The feedback was specific enough to act on. puck
- Comments stayed on the goals of the work, not personal taste. puck
- The loudest opinion did not decide the outcome. puck
- I gave feedback I would be glad to receive. puck
- The work is in better shape after this session. puck
Questions about this template
Should the presenter answer too?
Yes, on a separate copy, since results come per copy, not per person. The presenter and the reviewers often see the same session differently, and the items on a clear ask and actionable feedback are where that gap shows.
How often should a team run it?
Every few critiques is enough to see a pattern. Running it after every one tends to wear people out before the format has had a chance to change.