Critique has long been considered a
benchmark of design education and practice, both as a way to elicit feedback about design artifacts in the
process of production and as a high-stakes assessment tool in academia. In this
study, I investigate a specific form of critique between peers that emerges
organically in the design studio apart from coursework or guidance of a
professor. Based on intensive interviews and observations, this informal peer
critique appears to elicit the design judgment of the individual designer in
explicit ways, encouraging peers to follow new paths in their design process,
while also verbalizing oftenimplicit design decisions that have already
been made. Implications for future research
in academic and professional practice
are considered.
Nordic Design Research Conference 2013
