This week all thirteen students were present to share their progress and submit their digital drafts for the public service announcement poster. In class students tacked their 11×17 color printouts on the wall one at a time. The group gathered around and provided feedback. At the start Prof. B started off each students critique by giving his initial impressions of the execution. However, as the class progressed he put less of his own critique and challenged the students to engage in the conversation more.
It was exciting to see the concepts from the previous week come to life. It would have been impossible not to have high expectations after being part of the initial review. Some students stayed true to their sketches. Several others improved on them and sadly some under performed even more dreadfully than their initial concepts had.
As an observer I found myself able to critique the students as they critiqued each others pieces as well as how they reacted to their own work under fire. It became clear to me that as you receive feedback it is important to listen to what the person is saying. If your responses are defensive or full of excuses then it’s clear you aren’t really listening. We all know that hearing and listening are different things. I think many students forget to listen when people talk about their work. They want positive reactions and become personally attached to their creations. Emotions aside and ears wide open is the best approach in the discussion. Listening is active and involves hearing, paying attention and understanding. To establish that you were attentive and that you’ve processed what has been said repeat it back in your own words what you heard. By saying, “I want to be sure I heard you correctly on this” followed by your take, you will have clarity moving forward.
The above notes on listening pertains specifically to several students who didn’t hear what the class was saying during the first critique. Perhaps they did listen but chose to ignore the wise council of their peers and professor. Next week will be the true test when they come with their final posters. During this weeks critique, specific directions and council was given to each student. Prof. B marked directly on their drafts areas to improve. While several of the students tried illustration styles, only a couple of them really worked. The challenge with illustration as they found out was that it has to have a unified look which can be very difficult to pull off without adequate training or experience.
It was interesting to see how Prof. B challenged each student a little differently. For the students who could handle more, he gave them advanced techniques to attempt. Throughout the class he would remind students what he had been told as a student, “no sleep”—meaning plenty of work for everyone still to do. Once everyone had presented Prof. B debriefed the class on where he thought everyone was. He commented by reminding everyone that great design has two components that must both be present for a successful piece. You have to start with a solid concept and just as importantly you have to finish with flawless execution. He shared that at this point in their program “software” excuses didn’t cut it anymore. If they didn’t know a specific technique there are places to learn online. He reminded the students that he was available by email if they had any questions and dismissed class. After the previous weeks failure to clarify specifications he reviewed the details of the final piece which is to be printed in color 11×17 mounted black on black. In addition the students are required to submit two digital files, one layered and one flat.
In reflection during and after class I had some thoughts on how to improve the quality as well as the quantity of students participation during critiques. Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by the online learning experience as it relates to critique but I feel that their are aspects of it that could benefit the in-classroom setting as well. Having a clearly defined criteria by which to assess the design is key to encouraging discussion. Being able to visualize and reference the criteria for critique should not only be made available but integrated into the conversation. If it was posted or projected on the board or even provided as a handout, it could referenced and eventually ingrained into the students minds. It’s easy to forget about each component that goes into to successful design piece when all you can think about is an ugly color or misplaced drop shadow. By having a detailed list of the fundamentals and perhaps project specific considerations students can stay on task and provide quality assessments.
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