Starting a critique with 'How did you come up with that solution?' invites the designer to explain their reasoning and tell the story behind the design, rather than putting them on the defensive the way a 'Why' question might. Once the designer has shared their process, follow up by asking what other options they considered. After listening carefully to their explanation, the critic may then offer constructive suggestions.

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To ensure a UI design critique fosters collaboration rather than defensiveness, reviewers should ask constructive, open-ended questions. Effective questions explore how the designer arrived at a solution, the inspirations behind the design, the timing of interactions, the use of visual cues, opportunities for simplification, and the possible paths a user might take next.

Constructive Questions for UI Design Critiques

The goal of this question is to motivate the designer to share their inspirations or existing ideas they used to achieve their design. The ultimate goal is to bring all inspirations together to create newer, more unique designs. 

A word of caution: Be careful not to sound accusatory or condescending — i.e. implying they stole the idea.

Where Did You Get the Idea To Do It That Way?

Movement, animations, and transitions are crucial in modern experience design. Thus, thinking about moment-to-moment movement in a UI design will push the designer to change their perspective in good ways.

Can We Use Motion to Add Visual Cues?

It is important to consider simplicity in design and think about how to maintain clarity in the design with fewer clicks, less text, and not as many form fields to allow users to have a more seamless experience to complete their tasks.

How Could We Make It Simpler?

This question should be asked to consider all the paths that a user could take next, such as having to quit the app at some point, after submitting a form, in case of an error, etc. Thus, it is important to ask about what happens next until you have considered every possible scenario.

What Happens Next?

During a UI design critique, it is important to ensure that all events and interactions occur at the optimal time for the user's information flow. Asking 'When does that need to happen?' helps to iron out wrinkles in the timing of the interface by evaluating, at every opportunity, whether it is the right moment to perform an action, ask a question, or present data.

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