Design Rationale & Critique

Now that you’ve got your first few designs, it’s time to step back and critique them. One of the best ways to practice is to pick your favourite design and run it through a simple critique process. This works well with a knowledgeable colleague, but even asking a friend can help.

Remember—it’s not about whether someone likes the design or not. This isn’t a popularity contest. What matters is how well the design works.

Here are some guiding questions:

Core Purpose

  • What is the main goal of this design? Does it achieve that goal?
  • Who is the intended audience, and does the design speak to them?
  • Does the design communicate the right message or feeling?

Hierarchy & Clarity

  • Is it clear what the most important element on the page is?
  • Do you know where to look first, second, and third?
  • Is any part of the design confusing or hard to read at a glance?

Aesthetics & Style

  • Does the visual style feel consistent and appropriate for the brand?
  • Are fonts, colours, and imagery working well together?
  • Does anything feel out of place or distracting?

Functionality & Practicality

  • Would this design work well across different formats (print, digital, mobile, social)?
  • Is the text legible at smaller sizes?
  • Are margins, spacing, and alignment supporting the design’s balance?

Emotional & Audience Response

  • What emotion do you feel when you first look at this?
  • Does it match the intended tone (professional, playful, bold, elegant, etc.)?
  • Would this design make you, as a customer, take the desired action?

Open-Ended Reflection

  • If you could change one thing to improve clarity, what would it be?
  • What’s the strongest part of the design, and why?
  • What’s the weakest part of the design, and why?

At the end of the day, we’re not chasing perfection—no design needs to eat up more time than it’s worth. We’ve all got too much sh*t to do. But a good critique is always useful design practice. And when you share your work with others—even friends with an interest in design—you get valuable outside perspective and keep growing as a designer.