Our job is design. And design is subjective.
Sometimes we are required to give our opinions on the design.
The tough part comes in when I, the junior designer, needs to give my feedback.
I always try to be as considerate to other folks’ feeling as much as I can,
so then I will not trash their idea. And encourage further exploration of the concepts.
However I do feel bad that I am not speaking frankly to let the other party know that the work need to be improved much much more.
Second, I have problems telling fellow designers to buck up.
I told my boss my problem.
He knew it. He did something.
And that ‘something’ is everything.
So things just ended there.
How I wish he can get a whip, & whip all the designers up.
(Because the designers just lazing around!!!)
Designing is a beautiful job.
But maintaining a good working relationship with co-workers is tough.
It takes time away from doing a good design.
…design is subjective and one of the reasons you get paid is for your professional input/feedback/opinion…by withholding it you are not fulfilling your obligation…this doesn’t mean you have to be brutal to your co-workers even if they deserve it, but most all of us need a kick in the pants from time to time…let them feel the love.
If you believe in UCD, then you should believe that design is objective.
If you don’t, then sure, design is subjective; little more than mass produced art. If that’s the case, what’s the point in critiqing your fellow designers work?
One thing I try NOT to do is use the term “I like” - because everyone likes different things - say what you see in each concept and why (the marking on the sides makes it look busier) and at least you can then agree on that aspect, and talk about what aspect is really best and why. Try for a day not to use " I like" and you will be amazed at how it makes you articulate your thoughts in a more objective way - also it is not criticizing someone’s idea if you’re talking about a defined characteristic of a design. One of my old bosses learned me about doing that. It’s also cool because you can answer a question with a question (do you think that aspect fits with the design direction?) which is fun to do to people! Riddle me this!
Universially Crap Design
or in the southern hemisphere: Ultra-Crusty Design
I meet some guy and he seemed to think it had something to do with actually centering the design of a product around the need of a user. crazy talk.
After the fifth, you could care less about maintaining a good working relationship, and your focus will be on doing good work… because other people are (can be) crazy not to mention lazy.
You are not at work to make friends or to be liked. You are not at work to worry about the performance of other designers or your boss’s inability to manage them him/herself. You are there to maximize your experience and your learning curve. This is not to say that you should behave like an asshole, but it is to say that you should go in and do your job, invest in the work while you’re there, and clock out at the end of the day and stop worrying about whether or not people like you, they really like you. You could be the nicest, gentlest and most easy going person around and still encounter people’s wrath simply because you are also energetic and enthusiastic about design…and you tend to ask questions. SO STOP TRYING TO PLEASE PEOPLE AND START FIGURING OUT WHO YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU WANT TO BE AND GO IN THIS BEAUTIFUL THING CALLED DESIGN.