Critically Speaking
This modular critique toolkit reimagines how feedback is experienced in design education. Designed to be adaptive, playful, and inclusive, it invites participants (of any kind) to shape the critique process according to their needs, communication styles, and learning preferences. By combining structure with flexibility—through components like roles dice, and thematic card decks—it transforms critique into a space of shared reflection, agency, and engagement. Whether used in full or in part, the toolkit fosters critical thinking, emotional awareness, and collaborative growth in a creative, low-pressure environment.
TIMELINE
24 WEEKS
TOOLS
Illustrator,
InDesign
CONTRIBUTORS
SOLO
RoleS
RESEARCHER, COPYWRITER, DESIGNER
Research Question
How do design students experience critique within creative higher education, and how does it influence their creative development, well-being, and ability to navigate feedback constructively? How can the interplay between individual and collective well-being be better supported within these contexts?
Project Overview
My thesis project is grounded in research that explores how critique in design education impacts students’ creative development, self-compassion, and emotional health. In correspondence with my research question, the project responds to the need for feedback systems that center belonging, emotional safety, and student agency. In place of rigid or intimidating critique models, this project offers a modular, playful toolkit that reimagines critique as an adaptable, collaborative, and supportive experience.
Goals
COMMUNITY AND SHARED PURPOSE
Foster community in design education to counter individualism; promote shared goals and collaboration among peers.
INCLUSIVITY, BELONGING, AND SAFETY
Create an inclusive space where all feel safe to engage, balancing constructive feedback with emotional support.
REFLECTION AND SELF-CONFIDENCE
Promote dialogue and self-reflection in critiques to enhance self-awareness and balance confidence with receptiveness to feedback.
ADAPTABILITY AND VARIETY
Adapt to various project stages and types; considering individuals' comfort with feedback, expertise, and learning styles. Embrace diverse perspectives.
CLARITY AND UNDERSTANDING
Establish clear participant roles and ensure both criteria and feedback is clear and specific to help facilitate understanding.
AGENCY AND AUTONOMY
Adopt a student-centred approach that fosters authentic discovery and encourages independence.
Core
Components
Conditions Cards: Choose 3 rule-like constraints to shape how critique is conducted
Roles Dice: Assign each participant a role to guide their contribution
Prompt Card Decks (Describe, Interpret, Examine, Discuss)
Action Cards: Add play, randomness, movement, or redirection
Set Your Conditions
Pick 3 Conditions Cards. These set the tone, structure, or ground rules for the session. Think of them like boundaries—soft, clear, and shared by everyone.
Explore the Decks
There are 4 prompt decks to guide the critique journey:
Describe: What do you see ? Keep it visual, no judgment.
Interpret: What does it mean ? What’s the message, feeling, reference?
Examine: Is it working ? What’s strong? What could grow?
Discuss: How did it feel ? What’s next?
The Action Cards can be drawn when energy dips or a reset is needed. Some are silly. Some are deep. Some get you moving.
A Final Note
Critique doesn’t have to be scary. With this toolkit, participants become the co-creator of their own feedback experience. Although the components might seem to suggest a specific order, there’s no one right way to use this toolkit. Experiment, play, and adapt. Once the purpose of each part is understood, the process can be shaped in order to best fit one's goals.