Five Techniques for Receiving Critical Feedback so You Don’t Get Hurt

“Why is receiving critical feedback always so hard?” — I have been struggling with this question for a while and I think I found several tactics that work. In the essay for Co.Design by Fast Company I am sharing few tips on how to receive criticism and don’t feel stuck, unworthy, or incapable.

Design is subjective. There are no right or wrong solutions. There is always a spectrum of options and possibilities and with experience, we learn how to make better decisions earlier in the process.

Regular, candid, and critical feedback enables us to see shortcomings in our choices, pushes us to explore other ideas, and shows us new perspectives. Essentially, the more feedback you receive, the better designer you can become.

And here is a tricky part: While you can learn how to give good feedback, receiving it may always be hard for you. Some people can take criticism and move on, others can get hurt or start to question their abilities and skills and give up. We are all different. But in general, as designers, we learn how to be sensitive and open to other people, so we can design better products for them. The exact skill that makes us good designers also makes us terrible at receiving feedback.

In this article I want to focus on the techniques that work for me when dealing with critical feedback on my design work. Read the rest on Co.Design!