Design Reviews: Identifying Issues & Focusing Next Stage Deliverables
Stage-based design review_ Google Design's guide argues that every review should first agree the problem being solved, then ask stage-specific questions about the problem, the solution and its implementation. Helpful for Design students.
Contributors: Bethany Fong, Design Lead (author) · Jefferson Cheng, Graphic Designer (illustrations). Source: Google Design, "Design Reviews: Going Beyond the Surface",
A design review is a planned checkpoint where the work so far is tested against the brief, the Product Design Spec. (PDS), the Product Requirements Doc. (PRD), the agreed list of what the product must do and be, and against any known risks. Reviews sit at the turning points of a project: after concept generation, before a prototype is built, before CAD is frozen, and before a design goes to tender. It is where ideations converge, and a definitive direction is chosen.
Every stage of development makes the next change more expensive. A problem found on a sketch costs very little, a problem found after an injection-mould tool has been cut isn’t, it also costs precious time. A good review makes sure difficult questions gets asked.
Why review_ UXtweak sets out the six major benefits of a regular design review, from catching issues early and saving time and money to agreeing clear acceptance criteria before work moves on. Helpful for Design students.
Contributors: Ekaterina Novikova, Content & UXR Geeks Producer (author) · Daria Krasovskaya, Head of Content & Events (reviewer). Source: UXtweak, "Design Review 101: Creating an Effective Design Review Process
At Team Human, we discuss our sketches, renders and CAD drawings internally and questions them against the goals of that stage. Our client reviews are the formal ones, held at the end of each stage with you in the room, physically or digitally. We aim to agree the direction of the next phase. Which concept to develop, whether a prototype is ready to test, or whether the design can go to tender. the meeting is spent deciding, and making the important calls that decide the direction of a product.
After each review, we record what was reviewed, who was there, the decision and the next actions to be taken, we update the PDS or risk list wherever something is changed. Across a project, those records explain why the design is the way it is, which matters when an investor or a manufacturer asks.
Sketch review_ Concept sketches marked up as the discussion happens, with notes on where screens and hardware could sit. At this stage a change costs a pencil line, not a steel tool, so this is exactly when the difficult questions should be asked. Image: Team Human.
Sources / Further Reading:
Nielsen Norman Group. Design Critiques: Encourage a Positive Culture to Improve Products, on running critiques tied to design goals, and how they differ from formal approval reviews.
Nielsen Norman Group. Closing the Loop: What to Do After a Design Critique Ends, a practical guide to following up on feedback so stakeholders see what changed and why.
Stage-Gate International. Improving Go/Kill Decision Culture, on why decision gates fail when they turn into rubber-stamping, and how to make them rigorous.
Design Council. The Double Diamond, the discover, define, develop and deliver framework, useful for seeing where reviews and decisions fall in a project.
Google Design. Design Reviews: Going Beyond the Surface, by Bethany Fong, with illustrations by Jefferson Cheng. It's a guide to agreeing the problem first, then asking different questions at the early, mid-stage and post-implementation reviews.
UXtweak. Design Review 101: Creating an Effective Design Review Process, by Ekaterina Novikova, reviewed by Daria Krasovskaya. It's a practical guide to roles, preparation, action items and how often to hold reviews, and it also covers the benefits of a regular review.
A good design review does not slow a project down. It makes sure the next stage is spent building the right thing.
Do you have a product about to move into prototyping, detailed CAD or manufacture, and want a structured, independent look at it first? Team Human can run design reviews against your brief and specification, and turn the findings into clear actions with owners and dates. Get in touch to book a review before your next big commitment.
Contact us today at info@teamhuman.ie or visit our website www.teamhuman.ie to explore how we can help you.
Based in Wicklow, Ireland, Team Human is a leading product design and innovation consultancy. Our expertise spans industrial design, medical devices, and more. Join us on this exciting journey of innovation, and let's shape a better future together.
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