| As an artist and designer who participates in many online art communities, I've noticed that many people have no clue on how to properly technique. I've identified four unproductive aspects to many online critiques, and explained how to fix or avoid them. First things first. A few guidelines on what not to do:
Avoid the use of the word "trendy" as a perjorative.
The use of the word "trendy" tends to signify one thing: you, the critic, have identified a pattern common to art and design currently. Whether or not the design actually is trendy does not render it any less valuable or impactful. Rather, analyze the effectiveness and technique. If the trend works for or against the piece in question, make a footnote of it, but never ever hinge a critique on "This looks trendy."
Don't let your personal preferences stand in the way.
Too many people let their personal biases influence them in the matter of critiquing work. This swings both ways. Sometimes a person will admire a picture with poor craftsmanship and technique over a stronger piece because they like the subject matter. I don't like Western art (Frederick Remington and company) but I can still tell if a piece of Western art has been competently executed. This principle is especially important to remember in critiquing design pieces, as often times they will be directed at a demographic that doesn't include you, the critic. Again, analyze technique and functionality over your personal biases.
Don't make generalized statements. Or if you do, back them up with specific examples.
"I don't like this." This statement makes it hard for the artist/designer to figure out what they've done wrong with a piece. "This piece is too busy," is a little better, but doesn't point out what exactly is too busy. Is the whole work too busy? Or just a segment? "The typography at the left distracts from the focal point of the ad. I would suggest x." This pinpoints what exactly was distracting and making the piece too busy.
Don't be completely negative.
Quite honestly, there may be many bad things about the design you are critiquing. If there are, point them out, but do so tactfully. Always back up your "nitpicks" with a reason. And close your critique with pointing out at least one or two things which work for the piece. Pointing out what works is just as important, if not more important than pointing out what doesn't work. It keeps the artist/designer from unintentionally destroying the good things about their work while trying to fix the bad.
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