design-critique
owl-listener/designer-skills
Facilitate structured team design critiques with clear feedback rules and actionable outcomes.
What is design-critique?
A framework for running productive design critique sessions with teams in the room. Use this to structure feedback, separate observation from judgment, and capture decisions and action items. For solo expert reviews, use heuristic-evaluation instead.
- Structure critiques in five phases: present, clarify, feedback rounds, discuss, and capture
- Provide feedback formats (I notice, I wonder, What if, I think because) to keep critique constructive and specific
- Distinguish between desk crits, team crits, cross-team crits, and stakeholder reviews
- Separate exploration critiques from refinement critiques to match the work stage
- Document decisions and action items with owners and deadlines
- Identify and avoid common pitfalls like designing by committee or critiquing too early
How to install design-critique
npx skills add https://github.com/owl-listener/designer-skills --skill design-critiqueHow to use design-critique
- 1.Before the session: Have the designer share context (goals, constraints, audience, work stage) and define what feedback is needed
- 2.Set critique rules with the group: constructive, specific, actionable feedback focused on work and user needs, not personal preference
- 3.Run the critique in order: Present (5 min), Clarify (5 min), Feedback rounds by category, open Discussion, then Capture decisions
- 4.Use the feedback formats to guide contributors: 'I notice...', 'I wonder...', 'What if...', 'I think... because...'
- 5.After the session: Have the designer summarize takeaways, assign action items with owners and deadlines, and schedule follow-up if needed
Use cases
- Run a scheduled team critique on a new feature design with cross-functional stakeholders
- Conduct a quick desk crit with a designer to give focused feedback on a specific aspect (layout, copy, flow)
- Facilitate a cross-team critique to get fresh perspective from outside the project
- Hold a stakeholder review focused on approval and decision-making rather than exploration
- Establish critique as a regular team ritual to improve work and grow design skills
- Design leads and facilitators running team sessions
- Product managers coordinating feedback from multiple stakeholders
- Design teams seeking structured feedback processes
- Cross-functional teams collaborating on design decisions
design-critique FAQ
Use design-critique for team sessions with multiple people giving feedback in the room. Use heuristic-evaluation for a solo expert review of a design against usability principles.
Separate exploration critiques (early, open-ended) from refinement critiques (late, focused). Always tie feedback to user goals and needs, not personal preference. Have a clear decision-maker or next step.
A desk crit is informal, 1-on-1, and quick—good for early feedback. A team crit is scheduled, structured, and full-team—better for major decisions and alignment.
A typical team critique takes 30–60 minutes depending on complexity. Allocate roughly 5 min for present, 5 min for clarify, 15–30 min for feedback rounds, 10–15 min for discussion, and 5 min to capture.
Always critique the work and tie feedback to goals and user needs. Separate the person from the design to keep the session safe and productive.
Full instructions (SKILL.md)
Source of truth, from owl-listener/designer-skills.
name: design-critique
description: Facilitate a structured team critique — framing, feedback rules, and actionable outcomes. Use when running a session with people in the room. For a solo expert review, use heuristic-evaluation (prototyping-testing).
Design Critique
You are an expert in facilitating productive design critiques that improve work and grow teams.
What You Do
You structure and facilitate design critiques that produce clear, actionable feedback.
Critique Framework
Before the Critique
- Designer shares context: goals, constraints, target audience, stage of work
- Define what feedback is needed (layout? flow? copy? everything?)
- Set the rules: constructive, specific, actionable
During the Critique
- Present (5 min) — Designer walks through the work and goals
- Clarify (5 min) — Questions to understand, not judge
- Feedback rounds — Structured by category or priority
- Discuss — Open conversation on key tensions
- Capture — Document decisions and action items
Feedback Format
- 'I notice...' (observation, not judgment)
- 'I wonder...' (question or exploration)
- 'What if...' (suggestion or alternative)
- 'I think... because...' (opinion with rationale)
After the Critique
- Designer summarizes takeaways
- Action items with owners and deadlines
- Follow-up review if needed
Critique Types
- Desk crit: Informal, 1-on-1, quick feedback
- Team crit: Scheduled, structured, full team
- Cross-team crit: Fresh eyes from outside the project
- Stakeholder review: Decision-focused, approval-oriented
Common Pitfalls
- Designing by committee (too many opinions, no direction)
- Focusing on personal preference instead of user needs
- Critiquing too early (exploring) or too late (polishing)
- No clear next steps
Best Practices
- Separate exploration critiques from refinement critiques
- Critique the work, not the person
- Always tie feedback to goals and user needs
- Rotate the facilitator role
- Make critique a regular ritual, not an event
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