Giving Good Critique: When you post in this thread (or anywhere, really) you never want your opinion to be misinterpreted as a personal attack. Giving good, constructive criticism ensures that your intent is always clear and never in doubt. Constructive criticism is focused on two things:
- Valid and Unbiased Feedback: Naturally, all of the critiques in this topic will be at least partly influenced by personal opinion. However, make sure that you take the next step! Simply having and stating an opinion isn't good constructive criticism. Always give tangible advice along with it. The purpose of giving a critique is ultimately to offer potential improvement. Without actual advice, it simply becomes listening to yourself speak.
- Clear, Understandable, and Relevant Advice: Make sure that you're not rambling or ambiguous in your critique. Simply saying "Work on the palette, it's not very good." isn't very informative, and it doesn't tell your audience what you actually thought was wrong with it. Clearly identify the problems you see in a shot, and suggest specific ways to handle them.
Accepting Critique Gracefully: It's easy to get defensive when you've had your shot critiqued. After all, you may have put a lot of work into your product, and it can seem unfair and disappointing when that work isn't well-received. However, there are a few things you can do to make sure that you are thinking logically and not letting your emotions get the better of you.
- Stop your first reaction. As I've stated earlier, it's very easy to get defensive, and even angry. However, keep in mind that your negative emotions can often do more harm than good. If you feel like lashing back, take a deep breath, and let your negative emotions run their course. You should only respond once logic has had time to step in and sober you up.
- Turn a negative into a positive. It's an unfortunate truth- you will get more negative criticism than praise, and even if you don't, you'll notice the negative criticism a lot more. However, this doesn't mean that there aren't positives to be found! If you get a lot of negative comments on, say, a tile choice, chances are that everything else on your screen is just fine. Don't put words into people's mouths! That's a sure-fire way to let your emotions get the better of you.
- Learn from the critique. You're not perfect, and neither is anyone else. So don't treat your screens like they are! There's always room for improvement, so take the time to really let the critique sink in. The more your learn from criticism, the less you get criticized in the future.
- Be the better person. If you think that someone is targeting you personally or is being unfair in their critique even after you've taken all of the above steps, don't degrade yourself by going down to their level. Simply ignore the criticism or the critic and move on. People notice this, and will think better of you for rising above pettiness. Even better, you'll feel good about yourself for not dirtying yourself with retaliation.
Dwelling on the Situation: Sometimes, we do make mistakes, and we feel like fools. This is good and healthy! If you feel bad about a mistake you made, then that just means you're human like the rest of us. Don't beat yourself up about it. Learn from the experience and decide "I won't let myself feel like this again."
Other times, we notice that other people have made mistakes. In this case, don't beat them up about it! Remember that you're only human too, and are prone to making the same errors. Making others feel like idiots doesn't help them at all. Helping them realize a mistake and grow from it does.
Ultimately, remember the purpose of the thread: posting and critiquing screenshots. Keep in mind that anything that doesn't fulfill these criteria is off-topic. Tangents are fun, but it's rude to anyone trying to post a screen and get feedback if everyone's to busy talking about something else. Be considerate, and have fun!
Interested in viewing the old thread? You still can!