The Importance of Taking Constructive Criticism in a Professional Setting
by: Samuel Yang ∴ Thinker
One of the most important aspects of being a designer is our ability to receive constructive criticism, using it as a tool to better our work.
As design students, we’re taught to give and receive constructive criticism through critique sessions in our practicums. During these sessions, we open ourselves up to the opinions of our peers and instructors, all of whom have one common goal in mind — to help us improve our project. The language we use is specific, respectful, professional, and comments amongst peers are received with gratitude.
Critiques are held not only to improve our work, but also to prepare us for our future in the professional workforce. The inability for a designer to receive constructive criticism in a productive way can have a severely negative impact on their social relationships and quality of work.
While not all criticism is made equal, and some are to be taken with a grain of salt, a designer must be able to separate themselves from their work in order to make full use of critique from their peers. It is key to understand that we are in no way superior to our peers, and each person, no matter their background or specialization, may have a valuable point to contribute. No constructive criticism is made in an attempt to attack a designer’s personal character, nor should it carry underlying hostility. Constructive criticism in the professional workspace is in summary — a team of individuals working to accomplish a collective goal, and positively challenging each other in the process. Receiving critique in a productive way not only helps individual designers produce exceptional work, it also promotes a strong and healthy team dynamic. Providing and receiving critique can build a strong foundation of trust and respect amongst peers, which is vital to the success of a project in the grand scheme. When a designer chooses to internalize constructive criticism in a negative way, an originally positive message can be distorted and misinterpreted as hostility or aggression. In which case tension can be generated and relationships may be unnecessarily strained.
Maintaining an open mind can help designers receive constructive criticism more effectively. It is imperative that we do not regard ourselves as superior to our peers and as a result dismiss all forms of critique as hostility. We as designers work within teams to accomplish a collective objective, constructive criticism made by our peers are simply the stepping stones we must lay down to reach our eventual destination together.
The next time you receive critique and feel the blood rush to your ears, remember, it’s not you, it’s not them, it’s a collaborative team effort with a collective goal.
Samuel Yang is one of the graduates of the York/Sheridan Program in Design class of 2021. Catch Samuel’s work showcased at the online graduate showcase on April 20–21. Visit ysdn2021.com for more details.
