How to write a CRITIQUE Laura Ruel Assistant Professor, UNC-Chapel Hill

Step one: Look, then see Laura Ruel UNC-Chapel Hill LOOK: Spend about a fifteen minutes to a half hour with the presentation as a “typical” user. At this point, don’t think about the critique, just experience the site. Go where you are personally driven. Don’t be methodological, but instinctive and impulsive. Don’t take notes or do anything that might be atypical of your usual web browsing behavior. SEE: Once you are done, close the site and ask yourself the following questions: What are the top three things I enjoyed most about the site? What are three things I found difficult, or wished were different?

Step two Evaluate using criteria Laura Ruel UNC-Chapel Hill Spend about a half hour with the presentation as a “critiquer.” Take notes and answer the following questions in each of the three evaluation areas. AREA ONE: NEWS VALUE Who is the audience for this story? Does the presentation's content have news value for them? Is this presentation worth the investment of multimedia to tell the story? In other words, are there aspects of this story that are clearer or more accurately understood because multiple media are used? Is the presentation ethical in its uses of technology?

Step two (continued) Evaluate using criteria Laura Ruel UNC-Chapel Hill Spend about a half hour with the presentation as a “critiquer.” Take notes and answer the following questions in each of the three evaluation areas. AREA TWO: INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE AND EDITING Does the presentation have a clear, intuitive interface? Does it have a logical structure? Are there any non-working aspects of the piece? Can relevant information be retrieved quickly? Does this presentation utilize the BEST ways to communicate this story to an audience? In other words, were deliberate decisions made to use (or not use) each type of media presentation -- audio, video, text, still images, interactivity? Has the designer/producer has carefully considered the effectiveness of each delivery method? Are multimedia forms used deliberately and not gratuitously?

Step two (continued) Evaluate using criteria Laura Ruel UNC-Chapel Hill Spend about a half hour with the presentation as a “critiquer.” Take notes and answer the following questions in each of the three evaluation areas. AREA THREE: AESTHETIC PRESENTATION, CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION Is the presentation aesthetically pleasing and appropriate in terms of color use, organization, proportion and sizes of visual elements? Are all aesthetics relevant to the news value of the presentation? Is the design professional and appropriate to the audience? Does the presentation work in multiple browsers, on both Mac and PC platforms? How well does the designer use the unique, interactive features of multimedia?

Step three Outline your critique Laura Ruel UNC-Chapel Hill Now it is time to gather your thoughts. Looking at your notes and your list of the three best and worst parts of the site, determine what you will cover in each area. A sample outline would be: OUTLINE Opening paragraph: A two-sentence description of the site An overall statement of the success/failure of the presentation. Paragraphs two through five: Describe each evaluation area. Order of areas should be determined by how well they support your overall statement. Suggestions for improvement also should be incorporated. Paragraph six: Conclusion and other important observations.

Step four Gather screen grabs Laura Ruel UNC-Chapel Hill It is important that you write what needs to be written, and incorporate images where appropriate. The WRITTEN part of your critique should be NO LONGER than two pages, however, you can (and should) incorporate screen grabs from the site to illustrate your points. Gather more than you think you will need.

Step five Begin writing Laura Ruel UNC-Chapel Hill Now you are ready to begin writing your critique. Be sure to write professionally, follow AP style and carefully proofread your final paper. You also will want to be sure NOT to use the first person when writing your critique. Questions?