running-design-reviews
Framework for running design reviews using feedback hierarchy and structured critique.
- Prioritize feedback by value first (does it solve the problem?), then usability, then delight; defer aesthetic concerns until core value is validated
- Assign senior leaders as project sponsors to oversee quality through live demos and review 100% of shipped screens before launch
- Structure reviews around specific feedback requests; ask presenters exactly what type of input they need rather than opening unstructured critique
- Start with big-picture assessment before discussing details; use blurred vision to evaluate overall cohesiveness instead of pixel-level minutiae
- Includes common mistakes to avoid: mixing aesthetic opinions with core concerns, reviewing static decks instead of interactive prototypes, and shipping without clear quality standards
Running Design Reviews
Help the user run effective design reviews and critiques using frameworks from 8 product leaders.
How to Help
When the user asks for help with design reviews:
- Understand the review context - Ask what stage the design is at and what kind of feedback is needed
- Establish the hierarchy - Help them prioritize feedback by value, then usability, then delight
- Structure the critique - Guide them on how to frame feedback constructively
- Set the quality bar - Help them define what "good enough to ship" means
Core Principles
Follow the feedback hierarchy: Value, then Ease of Use, then Delight
Julie Zhuo: "The first thing that's most important to address is, well, is this thing actually valuable, is this solving the problem? Then once we do that, then let's focus on the next layer which I think about as ease of use... And then finally... delight." Disregard feedback about aesthetics until the core value proposition is validated.
Assign sponsors for major projects
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