Supplement Not Substitute
By megan dealMarch 21st, 2008
I compulsively check my email countless times throughout the day. Logging onto instant messenger has become just as much a part of my daily routine as, say… brushing my teeth. The photo sharing world of Flickr has changed, dare I say ruined, my life forever. I’ve abandoned the coalition of desktop users and joined the laptop alliance. My computer follows me around, and to it, I remain perpetually “plugged-in” to the vast world that surrounds us.
Yet it wasn’t too long ago that I myself cringed at the idea of using ichat, while simultaneously belittling the community of flickr users for what seemed to be their over-zealous concern with their own self-exposure. I argued that excessive use of such programs was the main reason why so many students felt that they never had enough time to finish their class projects. Along with all of our everyday responsibility, how can one expect to be productive if they’re constantly clicking from site to site, checking for “new messages,” “new comments,” and all the like?
Then, as they say, peer pressure got the best of me. I began using ichat during my internship out of neccesity. It had become the most proficient way to send files back and forth, and even a better way to provide instant feedback on hurried projects. Soon after, I opened a flickr account, signing up for “pro” status almost instantly. These days I email, I ichat, I video chat, I audio chat, I flickr, I youtube, and I del.icio.us. Amazingly, I still get my work done…and on time.
There has been mention on this blog before about the use of technology in the classroom. In an interview originating from the Schools of Thought Conference 3, (see here) Chad Reichert talks about the importance of utilizing certain technology in design education, talking especially about the community it can facilitate outside of the classroom. He talks about the ease in sharing information, the peer-to-peer exhange, and the classroom time that can be saved when students are interacting and critiquing one another outside of our designated class times. Students agree. Some say that being connected into our own little self-governed digital community is the motivation that they need in order to stay up late and put the long hours into school work. Since we don’t have 24/7 access to a studio space, using this type of technology is the only real way to keep the dialogue going outside of class, and it seems to be working effectively.
As one of the newly converted, I too would advocate the use of this technology for peer-to-peer exchange. However, I would also like to suggest that ichat et al not become our only outlet for critical discussion. Being connected all day, everyday, means that our peers get to see the various stages of our process, providing feedback in stages along the way. Though this can be valuable, by the time our work makes it to the classroom wall, what else is there to say? Herein is where I find the problem. Yes, perhaps we’re taking full advantage of the technology placed before us, but it worries me that this technology may be eliminating opportunity for useful classroom discussion. That is to say, we mustn’t forgo classroom group critique simply because we’ve already put in our two-cents via ichat the night before. Technology must be used to supplement our in-class education, but not replace it.
Classroom critique is a neccessary part of a progressive design education. Hanging our work on the wall in front of our instructors and peers is a privelage, and should be treated as such. Though instant messaging may arguably provide instant feedback, this method eliminates one of the most important components of group critique; the group itself. Certainly, an online network allows for several users to comment in tandem, but only in a real physical group situation can group members comment, and subsequently feed off of each others ideas, almost simultaneously. How many times has a comment from Student A, struck a chord in Student B, and lead to new ideas that may have otherwise never even surfaced?
Finally, and what I consider to be the most important part of group critique is the chance that it offers each individual to develop a clear way of articulating their ideas and defending their position. Yes, CCS students have been ridiculed in the past for being incapable of cohesively explaining their work. The upcoming career event will test this notion, as each of us will be required to clearly explain our concepts and forms to individuals unfamiliar with us or our projects. Group critique allows us to practice, to get in front of our class, to explain our reasoning, and more often then not to clarify ideas within our own heads. A digital critique simply cannot offer this.
I intend not to bash the use of technology as a design tool. I’m far to immersed now. But I urge us all to continue developing our classroom critique skills. Develop a voice. Speak up already!
I cannot tell you how many times i feel a class period was wasted because students either are (seemingly) incapable or just don’t have anything to say about work that is up for critique. In the end it winds down to a one-on-one with the instructor in front of the class.
The classroom critique process has always been of interest to me for many reasons. Many students use the critique as a way to affirm their design directions – they want to know if what they’re doing is an appropriate solution. When this is done most hope they can receive honest feedback when it’s their time on the podium. Except more often than not other students just sit listlessly, staring blankly at work and offering mild shrugs and feedback that is either terribly subjective or of no use to the receiving party.
So my question to students and instructors is how can we be more engaged during this process? It has become apparent (particularly in certain graphic design classes) at CCS that the current state of the critique process is archaic and un-engaging and ultimately wastes our valuable time.
After seeing how some studios critique work and offer feedback I have a few suggestions of my own for this process:
1) Critique while on our feet. Standing up, not sitting down. Sitting down is a very passive act, and most people associate it with relaxing. Making students be on their feet not only forces them into an active position but ultimately keeps them more engaged and focused on what’s in front of them. It also makes the student receiving the critique feel as if they’re not talking down to their peers and instructors – they are all on the same level.
2) All students and instructors must take a close look at the work and speak about it. I’ve noticed many times students will step into the critique process later while the person up for critique is in the middle of explaining themselves without getting a close look at the work and then offer feedback in regards to the little they have heard and even less of what they have seen. This is problematic for many reasons but more importantly it is disrespectful to those in front of the class.
3) Be completely honest with your peers and colleagues.This might be your last chance to offer feedback that is critical and valuable before we lose some of our scruples to the professional workplace. If you don’t like something or a particular area of someone else’s work speak up! But also, tell them why you don’t like such and such. Likewise, be completely honest when you like something too.
That’s all for now, this has gotten much longer than intended. If anyone would like to add to this list please feel free! I think the critique process is important for artists and designers and the more feedback we recieve the better our solutions become.
i am going to post more then one word.
Glen Cummings one of the Creative Directors from the company 2×4, was gracious enough to get involved with the GD handbook and give us his response to class room critique (aka THE CRIT). Much of the time people take comments the wrong way or way too personal in general. I think class room critique, for me personally it has helped to strengthen my confidence and vocabulary. Being to tell the story and process behind my work. Technology sure great, crit me online, but there is nothing like something being said to your face and having to respond directly facial expression, body language and all.
A glimpse into what you might read in the upcoming GD handbook.
Glenn Cummings writes:
CREATIONISM VS. EVOLUTION
Many young designers think that creation is the only important design step. They hope that they’ll be lucky enough to make the perfect thing the first time, every time. This heroic notion of creation stops working once criticism enters the picture. Criticism cannot inspire revision if the designer thinks their work is done.
The most important steps in the design process are criticism and revision. They enable the designer to learn while they are developing their design object, discovering and incorporating new perspectives along the way. If you work and think alone you can only discover what you already know. Criticism and revision eventually leads to a smarter objects, a smarter processes and smarter designers.
YOU DON’T SUCK, YOUR PROJECT DOES
Instead of visualizing yourself standing in judgement before your critic, visualize yourself standing alongside the critic looking at your design object together. The object is the thing being criticized, not you. Be a fellow critic. You are both working on the same project. If you’ve taken your design object as far as you can, its relieving to let someone else’s brain work on it for a while. Allow yourself to feel comfortable about being in-progress. Try see your design object through the critic’s eyes as they attempt to read it. See how they see. What facets are they responding to? Nothing could be more entertaining. When the critique is over the development of the object is your sole responsibility again. Although you send all your time making design objects, the real goal is to become comfortable with the way the design process works.
I recently started using flickr to post my process for Type 4. I have to say it does come in really handy when you are working on something over the weekend and need feedback. However as a classroom tool I’ve noticed that often the class as a whole is not involved in critiquing each other’s work and there is no guarantee that anyone will even see what you’ve done. I have to agree that classroom critique is by far more helpful, in that you get feedback from more than a few people.
Megan-
Excellent post, I could not agree with you more. The part of this post that most resonated with me was the last paragraph in which you address how lacking many CCS students/ recent graduates presentations skills are. I think the constant use of instant messaging programs has a direct correlation with this. Of all my contacts on AIM only a small handful use correct punctuation and regularly capitalize. Instant messenger has become less of a real dialog and more of a running stream of consciousness. I have notice the negative affect on this when my peers (myself included) as they struggle to find the proper way to verbally articulate their ideas.
A project is only as good as its presentation. Outside of school half of a designer’s job is to interact with clients. This includes writing regular emails to clients and coworkers in addition to presenting work and concepts. Not only does presenting physically, verbally and in person help to better one’s presentation skills but more often than not it helps the presenter to better understand their own idea. I can think of numerous times when after being forced to present a concept I had not fully worked out on my own, I came to a better understanding of what I was trying to say simply through verbally expressing myself.
Our generation is repeatedly accused of being passive and apathetic, perhaps this is a product of growing up in an age where anonymity behind a computer screen became the most common interaction we had with our peers. In-class critiques are an excellent place to own our opinions and express our thoughts. I encourage all of you to actively participate in class critiques, believe me, once you’re out of school you will be surprised how much you miss them.
allllllllllright. I’m sure most of you know, when you are in AIGA, you learn that getting people to participate in something you created can sometimes be the hardest thing in the world. Everybody else learns it in class critiques. Mostly when they find no one is giving them feedback they were counting on.
I believe there are ways to get what you want out of a critique, where the determining factor is not the crowd, but yourself. I don’t believe that its fair to blame a crowd for not speaking, I also don’t believe that the internet is stunting our vocabulary or grammar skills. That is like an overweight person blaming McDonalds for making them fat.
Which means, the only person to blame is you. Which also means, the only person to fix the problem, is you.
You are the only one responsible for the way you speak, the way you act, etc. If you want people to say something about your design, ask them questions to get them to talk about your work. Its not polite to not answer a question, no? You could also go up to a person during class and ask them if they have some time to critique 1:1 with you. Just tell them they can stop by during class and you guys can critique each others work.
If you’re not getting anything out of a group critique in class, use that time to practice your ’speaking in front of a crowd’ skills. Practice a joke, opinion, anything. You have a bunch of designers sitting in front of you, ask them their opinion on something, lord knows designers have opinions!
Bottom line, make your time count. Like Colleen said, once you’re out of school, you will be surprised how much you miss critiques. Its a platform worth taking advantage of.