“The one with the holes in it sucks.” That was the first comment of my first stand-up critique in Lettering Design 101 at Southwest Texas State University.
That comment, however harsh it may have seemed at the time, was a transformative piece of constructive feedback that set the stage for my future success as a graphic designer. It was the first step in a journey of growth and improvement.
Mind you, I had put in a lot of time to come up with what I thought was a good idea to illustrate a book cover of Hemingway’s classic, “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” Considering the subject matter, turning all the letter “Os” into bullet holes seemed creative. We were required to hand ink the book covers for a grade – the assignment was as much about how well we could ink the letters as the design concept, but I was standing in front of the class with work that I was proud of, only to hear the first comment that it “sucked.”
How you handle feedback, even harsh criticism is a character trait that develops as your career progresses.
At that point in my life, I had little flight instinct, so my immediate reaction was defensive. I wanted to combat the negativity and engage in a spirited debate, then track down the perpetrator of this injustice later and give him a piece of my mind.
The instructor intentionally created a confrontational environment because, as designers, we constantly put our work into the world to be critiqued, criticized, and complimented. This environment was designed to simulate the real-world experience of a graphic designer, where feedback is a constant. You must be exposed to that environment to understand how to use it.
Suppose you can’t make it through a design critique in college. In that case, you have no chance of surviving at an agency where daily “constructive” feedback is given from the creative department, the accounting department, the human resource department, the client, and the security guard commenting on the boards under your arm as you rush out to a pitch.
How you handle “constructive” feedback, otherwise known as someone voicing their opinion about your work, for me, requires you to master one key component that I learned early on – your job is not you.
You have to separate yourself from the work you produce. In the communication business, your ephemeral work is a means to an end. Insiders call it commercial art for a reason: you are getting paid to produce work for a specific purpose and audience. This means that your work is not just about personal expression, but about meeting the needs of a client or audience.
It’s not art. So, don’t take it personally when someone thinks your big idea “sucks.”. While Graphic Design should strive to be beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, it uses art to communicate an idea.
Once you understand that constructive feedback isn’t an attack on your vision as an artist, you can use the criticism to improve the work or even start from scratch. Embracing criticism is not a sign of weakness, but a testament to your commitment to growth and improvement.
That’s why it’s always valuable to have a few options in your back pocket and learn the true art of the graphic design profession: persuasion. Mastering this art will not only make you a better designer but also give you the confidence to handle any critique. Cheers!
