Heads up! To view this whole video, sign in with your Courses account or enroll in your free 7-day trial. Sign In Enroll
Well done!
You have completed Design Criticism!
You have completed Design Criticism!
Preview
Now that you have some idea of how to formulate feedback, let's try running through an example.
Resources
Smells Like Bakin' - This is the website we'll use for our example critique.
Related Discussions
Have questions about this video? Start a discussion with the community and Treehouse staff.
Sign upRelated Discussions
Have questions about this video? Start a discussion with the community and Treehouse staff.
Sign up
Let's critique an example website from
Treehouse at smellslikebakin.com.
0:00
You can find a link to this in
the notes associated with this video.
0:04
Let's start by describing what
it is that we're looking at.
0:09
This is a website for
a fictional cupcake bakery.
0:12
The first thing I notice is
that the light colored text and
0:16
illustrations contrast with
the dark red background.
0:20
The illustrations stand out because
they have a unique shape and
0:24
silhouette that's unlike the uniformity
found in the rectangular photos.
0:28
The photos themselves are very
high contrast and colorful.
0:34
I also see a button that
says browse our cupcakes.
0:38
The color scheme seems to mostly
be composed of red and green,
0:43
which are complementary since they're
opposite one another on a color wheel.
0:47
And the composition looks like
it's on a grid with columns,
0:53
where some items like the paragraph
at the top stretch across and
0:58
photos align with the text.
1:03
So now let's try to interpret
the goal of this site.
1:07
What does the site trying to accomplish?
1:10
Sometimes you'll be able to ask
the designer but other times,
1:13
you might have to answer that question for
yourself.
1:16
Like I said before, this is a website for
a fictional cupcake bakery.
1:20
But, let's read a little
bit of the copy here.
1:25
In the navigation, there's cupcakes, and
prices, and locations, and a contact link.
1:28
And the call to action button
says browse our cupcakes.
1:36
I feel like I've seen this type of
button on other websites before, and
1:40
it's familiar to me.
1:45
Because it doesn't have any
other similar buttons around it.
1:46
There are some negative
space with nothing there.
1:51
And it looks different in size and shape
and color than the other navigation items.
1:54
So, I have some confidence that this
will take me to the next step and
2:02
help me get cupcakes.
2:06
So overall, it seems to me that on this
website, maybe I'm expected to either
2:09
visit this bakery to buy cupcakes or
I can call them or place an order online.
2:14
And that makes sense because it lines
up with my experiences with other
2:20
food businesses where I can place
an order or just visit their location.
2:24
Now, how does that goal connect
with the visuals that I described?
2:28
That's the last part judgment.
2:34
Does this website make me want to
visit their store or place an order?
2:36
Usually, I saved the overall success for
last, but generally speaking, yes,
2:41
I think if I search the web for cupcake
bakeries and I came across this website,
2:47
I would feel comfortable enough to
order from them, but why is that?
2:52
Well, let's talk about what's
working in their favor.
2:56
The illustrations have a flat and
2:59
cartoon style that feels childish and
fun just like eating a cupcake.
3:01
It's not an essential food
that you need to survive.
3:07
It's frivolous and
something that should happy.
3:09
The contrast between the background and
the text makes it really easy to read and
3:14
the emphasis using
different font sizes and
3:19
colors as well as different
shapes in the case of
3:23
the browse our cupcakes button, makes it
easy to see the hierarchy of information.
3:27
I immediately know what's most
important and what's a smaller detail.
3:32
This builds my trust in them as a business
because it makes me feel like they're
3:38
organized, and they're not going to
forget about my order or something.
3:42
And finally, the choice of
a complementary color scheme with red and
3:47
green feels like a smart
choice because color
3:52
complements typically provide the maximum
amount of contrast and vibrant color.
3:55
The photos and the illustrations
really pop off the page and
4:01
almost feel like they're floating in 3D.
4:04
It makes me feel like this
company appreciates beauty and
4:06
that they're capable of making the pretty
cupcakes that you see in the photos.
4:10
Now what can be improved?
4:16
Well, I feel like the texturization
of the background and
4:18
the illustrations is a little heavy.
4:22
A little bit is okay to make it feel
like cut out paper or something, but
4:25
these look like they're actually
distressed, sort of like chipping paint.
4:30
It's not enough to turn me away,
but it's an easy adjustment.
4:35
I also think the copy at the top
could be a little more direct.
4:38
And maybe say something like,
we're a cupcake bakery in Orlando,
4:43
or something that gives me a very clear
understanding of what this website is.
4:47
Finally, I think the call to action button
could be improved with less texture and
4:52
more color contrast with a larger font.
4:58
The same color is used in the cupcake
directly to the right of it,
5:01
and that's a little confusing because
the cupcake cause such a unique shape
5:06
that my eye is pulled away
from that button at first.
5:11
Overall, I think this is a successful
design, just a few tweaks and
5:15
it could be even better.
5:20
There's always more that can be said
in a critique because you can endlessly
5:22
speculate on other possibilities,
but that about covers it.
5:27
So let's break that down one more time.
5:31
Make sure that your feedback
is objective and useful.
5:35
First, describe what you see.
5:39
Second, interpret what you see.
5:41
In other words,
what is the goal of the site?
5:44
Last judge strengths and weaknesses.
5:46
Does this site accomplish its goal?
5:50
It's easy to bring people down but
it's hard to build them up.
5:53
Before you give criticism to others
people, you should practice a bit
5:57
first and maybe ask others to critique
your work to see what you like and
6:02
don't like about what they said.
6:06
Like anything, it's hard to get it right
the first time, so keep practicing.
6:09
You need to sign up for Treehouse in order to download course files.
Sign upYou need to sign up for Treehouse in order to set up Workspace
Sign up