# Design Critique

> Run effective design critiques that improve work quality through structured, respectful, goal-oriented feedback. Use when reviewing designs, facilitating critique sessions, or building a healthy feedback culture on product teams.

- Skill: `itsual/design-critique` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add itsual/design-critique`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/itsual/design-critique/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: itsual (https://skillmd.com/u/itsual)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/itsual/design-critique

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# Design Critique

## Overview

Critique is a learning tool. Done well, it raises quality and shared standards; done poorly, it becomes opinion combat or rubber-stamping.

## When to Use

- Reviewing work-in-progress designs
- Aligning on design quality bars
- Mentoring designers through feedback
- Cross-functional design reviews with product and engineering

## Core Practices

- State the goals and stage of the work at the start
- Ask for the type of feedback needed
- Ground feedback in user goals, principles, and constraints
- Separate personal preference from usability or business risk
- Capture decisions and follow-ups

## Principles

- Critique the work, not the person
- Be specific — “this feels off” is not actionable
- Balance problems with recognition of what works
- Match feedback depth to the fidelity and stage
- End with clear next steps

## Verification

- [ ] Feedback is actionable and tied to goals
- [ ] Designer knows what to change or explore next
- [ ] Critique improves the work rather than only generating comments