How did the Facebook design team open the design review?

Design reviews are an important part of the design process. It is a part of the design process that cannot be overlooked, whether in an independent design team, or in a mobile or remote design group. Through the team design review, in different members of the review, comments to get feedback, so that you stand outside the perspective of the previous design works, so you can better make design decisions, overcome obstacles, improve the work also improve themselves.

When I first joined Facebook, I was really worried that a 2-hour weekly design review would be wasted--and that's understandable, because in many design teams, design reviews tend to fall into two different situations:

• To not be too deeply critical of their design projects to discourage morale

• Team members do not have a clear understanding of the purpose of the design Review, and fall into the slot without purpose, so that the whole link into a waste of time

But on Facebook, design reviews have a slightly different role to play than the rest of the team. Each time such a meeting, the team members face each design project can achieve a true sense of "comment" rather than "criticism" mainly, also will not appear to fool the wishy-washy situation.

In doing design reviews, our approach stems mainly from the Jared M. Spool article, "Turning from a critical review to a review." Spool's definition of comments in this article has a huge impact on my understanding of design reviews, and the value of this understanding is particularly important in the Facebook team, which makes our team's 2-hour design review particularly valuable.

Next, I'll show you how Facebook's team makes design comments.

　1, establish a clear role and positioning

In the design review process, everyone has a role to play, and usually everyone's role can be divided into three categories: presenter, audience and coordinator.

The presenter is the design project's share, his main task is:

• A brief description of the problem being tried to solve (or the idea being explored)

• Show the content of the current design or the solution you think of

The presenter's task is not to show his design in full, or to "peddle" a design idea to the team. The presenter should set aside 15-30 minutes of time to communicate with each coordinator one day in advance, giving them a clear understanding of the design projects to be displayed the next day, rather than a second before the design review meeting.

The audience is the part of the whole design review that does not participate in the display, the audience mainly do the following things:

• Understand the status and background of this design and project

• Raise a series of questions

The most important function of the audience is to raise a large number of questions that should reveal design-related ideas as much as possible, or help guide designers or design teams to make decisions.

In this aspect, it is more important to ask the right questions than to find the right answers to the specific questions. For example, questioning the scope of the problem allows the presenter and the design team to re-examine the visual language of the entire design, drive innovative design, and ultimately influence the decision of the entire team.

Then there is the role of the facilitator:

• Set a timetable for each presenter's content, length of time, and audience comments in advance

• Ensure that everyone in the Conference can operate according to the timetable

• Record or take notes for each round of presentations and reviews

• Ask questions to each presenter: "What is the next key step in driving the design" and record for the corresponding response?

The most important role of the facilitator is to ensure that each role in the meeting plays a role in the context of their setting, so that the audience does not get bogged down in the question of no destination, raises no specific questions or affects the entire process, allowing the presenter to focus on outlining the design idea and proposing the solution.

In my team, a facilitator is assigned to manage weekly design review meetings, and a presenter can assume the task without prior elaboration.

　　2, to ensure that everyone can understand and identify the problem to be solved

In the design review meeting, it is helpful to restate the issues that need to be addressed before presenting any design and project.

Pre-declaration of the issues and backgrounds to be addressed by the design project, and why this problem is addressed, can help the audience to have a deeper understanding of the project and more efficient access to user feedback. This advance declaration can be rendered in the following style:

• I am going to show a "pre/medium/completed" Design project

• "The problem to be solved" is this

• Because of "What's the reason" This problem needs us to solve

• And I'd like to collect "feedback on this" to help me finish the design

The presenter should make it clear what part of the feedback he is seeking is focused on and explain it in a targeted manner. For example, the presenter can say: "This time I don't need to solve the design details and aesthetic issues, I want to know how to design transition to create a more cohesive user experience." ”

Once the design problem is clearly presented, it should be ensured that the audience at the scene can understand it clearly. At this point, the presenter and the facilitator should communicate with the audience on the issues raised in advance:

"The proposed design problem seems to be effective, so is it clear and incomplete? Do we all agree that this is the problem that needs to be addressed?"

When everyone agrees, the presenter can begin to show off his design project or solution.

　　3. Focus on presenting feedback rather than criticizing

Next, find out the difference between useful feedback and ineffective criticism.

It is worth mentioning that Jared Spool's article is a reflection of the value of the commentary, and my design team also introduced some of the ideas of author Judy Reeves. Judy also explores similar issues in his book writing Alone, writing together, and our team of designers, Greg Lindley, often cite the ideas in this book:

"The problem is to explain the point of view, so that designers can put down the defensive posture to state their design reasons." If a particular angle has not been taken into account, they can take notes, locate the problem, and then resolve it in the next iteration. ”

In addition to collecting these questions in the form of feedback, we also encourage viewers in the comments section to put their favorite place for the design or program.

To make sure that feedback is really helpful--it's really about commenting rather than criticizing--reeves also proposes an outline that defines the difference:

• Criticism directly gives judgment, while comment raises questions

• Criticism directly for mistakes, while commentary reveals opportunities

• Criticism is often subjective, while comments are more objective

• Criticism tends to be vague, while comments are more specific

• Criticism tends to be pushed down, and comments are aimed at building

• Criticism is self-centered, while commentary is altruistic

• Criticism is confrontational, and comments tend to cooperate.

• Criticism is easy to discredit design, while comments can enhance design

If the purpose of the review is to promote the solution and strengthen the design team, then the feedback should be exploratory and instructive, constructive, and enhance the whole design project, injecting the working concept of cooperation and synergy, rather than criticizing the presenter in a confrontational manner.

　4, keep the computer and mobile phone shutdown

Design reviews This link is designed to explore problems, develop ideas, and enhance teamwork, and to achieve these mainly through questioning and listening. If you need to check your computer frequently or use a mobile phone to brush your Facebook status in the process, it's hard to focus.

Of course, the presenter must be shown through a computer or mobile phone, and the facilitator needs to record the meeting notes in real time, which is the exception. Others, the audience, should shut down their computers and mobile phones.

　　Conclusion

Finally, we have summed up seven questions to help you reflect on your team and design reviews of the Conference itself. These problems can help you to better realize its value:

• Is there a system schedule and agenda for the design project that will be presented?

• Are the roles defined clearly in each link?

• Does the presenter have a full picture of the problems facing the design project?

• Has the presenter kept a high level of concentration in the whole process?

• Are all the people in the Conference room clear about the problem framework, and are each audience prepared to ask questions?

• Is the form of feedback information a problem rather than a criticism?

• Does the whole design review meeting make people feel that they are trying to improve the design and outline the problem?

Design Review is a team effort, not a personal performance, to take full advantage of its value, requires the entire team to consciously collaborate, explore and establish a complete design and communication process.