Step 1: Use formal Critique sessions to get people familiar with critique process

• The session should comprise of between 5-6 people and from all different backgrounds (get Support, Sales, Engineers, managers involved!)
• Do this weekly, get people into the habit of talking about their designs

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Step 2: Follow a Critique Guideline

Here is a quick guideline about how to run a critique session.

• Start off the session by going over the session guidelines (see set the stage for each feedback session).
• Encourage feedback from everyone
• All feedback should be backed up with reasoning
• Tie all the feedback to the goal of the design
• Affirm what works, its easy to be too focused on what can be improved and what is already working could be missed and inadvertently changed.
• Identify problems first, then solutions.
• Suggestions not mandates, allow the designer to explore the solutions.

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Step 3: Set the Stage for each feedback session

Here's how to start your critique sessions

• Review the goals of the design (Business, Customer, Product, etc)

example: The design is to let people know about our upcoming event, it'll be used as a banner on a social media page, its goal is to drive people towards our event page and get them to get tickets.

• Review the constraints set by the project

example: This has to be viewed on web both desktop and mobile, it has to be responsive and within the size constraints of 800px by 200px

• Review the timeline/schedule for the project

example: the expected time to complete the design is 1 week, and have it developed production ready in 1 week.

• Check for agreement on all the above topics

example: does this make sense? do we all agree on this?

• Set expectations of the fidelity of the design

example: What i'm showing today are some lo-fi mockups of different designs concepts we're currently working with

• Direct the feedback to where you need it

example: Please let me know which of the concepts you like the most, or if there any other concepts we could try exploring

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Step 4: Learn how to share your designs for feedback

For interaction design/product design, heres how to share your designs

• Start by simulating a customer experience

example: This is a customer signing up for our pro plan, they will use our new on-boarding screen and fill out our new account forms....etc

• Pick a task and run through from start to finish

example: This is Lisa, she's a blogger who is looking to update the security on her Wordpress site ....etc

• You can start even earlier to give even more context and background

example: She's tried many other of our competitors before but a lot of their sign ups/plans require her to pay for a year up front and this is very frustrating for her. She just wants to try the product to see if it fits her needs ... etc.

• Fake it with interactions (animations)

example: Animate on the screen the full interactions, ding! zip! and smiley face pops up. And then you're done! There is a message that assures you that your account has been process and will be ready to use in the next hour.

• Ask people to write down feedback and leave it until the end.

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And Finally: How to give feedback and discussion about design

• Have something to spark the discussion, maybe paper print outs (let ppl draw, note, cut up etc)
• Ask people to write down feedback and leave it until the end.

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References

• Check out Google Ventures Design blog on Medium about this, GV Guide to Design Critique, its a great resources for cool design articles.