In my first year at university college studying digital design, I was still very insecure about my work and designs. I didn’t dare to ask for much feedback from my peers, because I was afraid there were too many errors in it and they would tear my whole design down. When there was negative feedback, i felt a bit incompetent. I began to question my abilities and if I would ever catch up to those other students who were already excelling in design. Maybe I wasn’t in the right place after all? Thankfully, I quickly realized that I am not my work. And that the feedback that other students gave me, was not to hurt me. Everyone’s trying to help me and is giving advice on how to make my work better. I still had a lot to learn.
I learned to not take feedback personally. I needed to detach myself from my work. Just because I received negative feedback or my teachers weren’t a fan of it, that didn’t mean I’m not competent enough. Feedback is necessary in the whole design process. It helps your project grow to be the best it can be and it also helps you grow as a person. Nobody is set to purposefully hate on you during class. We’re all there to learn and help each other.
What to do with critical feedback?
Look at it with an open mindset. It all begins with how you think. Think of yourself as someone who still needs to grow, as someone who doesn’t master all the skills yet. We are only human and we learn new things every day. The skill set you have today is not the same as you will have in 5 years. It will be broadened. Criticism is not necessarily bad. Believe in yourself!
I’m here to design products that are user-friendly. And feedback, criticism, advice, or however you want to call it, is necessary in that process and in this field. So don’t be afraid to ask even if it’s just for one small thing.
