One of the most important parts of a design studio is the face-to-face sit downs between the instructor and the student – often termed desk critiques. For those unfamiliar with the term, or perhaps new to landscape design studio culture, the desk critique is a common practice in studio classes during the completion of a large design project. The critique is informal and meant to assist the student in their design of a rich and vibrant final project.

The desk critique is sometimes overlooked by design students – being thought of a just a formality that they need to suffer through in order to get credit for “participation” in the class. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The desk critique is essential. And it is one of the key benefits of design studio instruction.

I have been on both sides of the desk critique, as a student, teaching assistant, and now landscape design professor.

In this article, I am going to shares some ways that students should prepare their work in order to get the most out of their desk critiques. Having a long, informative dialogue with your professor during a desk critique can really strengthen your landscape design and raise your project to new heights.

Create Multiple Design Options for Discussion

I remember that when I first started a new landscape design project, I would have a clear (tunnel) vision as to how I wanted the final product to look. Being an energetic student, I would work diligently to get the final design complete and finish my original vision. Doing this for the first few semesters, I dismissed a lot of valuable feedback from my professors that could have helped in my designs.

It wasn’t until one of my studio professors, Marvin Adelman (a renowned landscape architect who I was lucky enough to train under at Cornell University), sat down with me during a desk critique that I learned the issue. After showing him my design (my one design) and trying to “sell” him on its value, he asked me what other options I considered. When I told him that I believed my design was the only and best option, he said – and I am paraphrasing – “great, but that isn’t design, that’s just vanity.”

It took me a moment to fully understand, but then it clicked. A landscape designer is responsive to the environment and socioeconomic conditions influencing a project site. In order to best serve the client or public entity commissioning the work, the landscape architect must take the time to review multiple options from different viewpoints and work through a problem, not design on top of it.

Moving past my personal preamble, I recommend students create three design strategies during the initial schematic or conceptual design phases of a project. Assuming you will receive at least 2-3 desk critiques during the project timeline, three strategies during your first session should be appropriate to garner adequate feedback and valuable guidance on your future vision.

For the three different strategies, I would suggest 2 of them be similar with some key differences. (For example, perhaps serving the same functional purpose but with very different geometries or vice-vera, when they have similar organization patterns, but serve very different purposes.)

For the third strategy, I would push your limits into the abstract and avant-garde. In most cases, this will not necessarily be the strategy you will stick with, but it will offer valuable discussion from your instructor as to WHY it isn’t appropriate – a lot of valuable information can be garnered from that discussion.

Use Precedent Images For Relevant Feedback

Some students feel they need to create everything from scratch, but the savvy ones will use prior landscape projects to their advantage.

In the early stage of a design project, it is useful to explore ideas without spending too much valuable time working out all the miniature details. It is helpful to use precedent images in order to make your point or provide your instructor with the “feel” of the space you are creating.

Whether the image is of a material palette, or perhaps a work of art in which you are drawing inspiration, it is better to utilize these existing images as a departure point for future design progression.

Something I’ve found valuable is when students purchase a cheap tablet and dedicate it to the design studio course – creating story boards or slideshows. It really helps drive the discussion and can offer other options through internet searches during the critique.

Also in certain cases, students will show me projects that I am already familiar with. This will lead to a great discussion on the intentions of the designer and how the precedent project does/doesn’t relate to our course’s studio work.

As with all things in academic settings, just be sure that you give credit to the original designer or artist when showcasing the image or project.

Be Ready, Be First

The biggest advice I can give to students during desk critiques is “be ready, be first”. For most studio courses, there is often a list which circulates around the class before the desk critiques begin for students to “sign-up” to see their professor.

The list clearly indicates to the instructor who has worked on their project during the week and who has nothing to discuss or show. Often when students are writing down their names you will see large gaps where certain students want to speak last, in the hopes they can utilize the entire class period to pull something together. In today’s world of expensive college-tuition, this is not only a waste of time, but also money.

A student that is prepared and ready to talk will get a lot of great feedback, especially if they are one of the first batch of students.

The great benefit to being one of the first students to get critiqued is not only did you (hopefully) receive good feedback, but you will also now have the ability to utilize the rest of the class time to pursue the design options discussed in the critique. It is a win-win.

On the other hand, if you wait until the very last minute to talk with your instructor, chances are you will not have much time to make changes during the class period and it can turn into a vicious cycle of procrastination which is difficult to break. This can be a very slippery slope.

For students who just can’t seem to get their act together, I often suggest they read “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. It has helped many students organize their schedule, take charge of their time, and develop good work habits to get designs completed. It’s advice and guidance a life lessons that can be applied well past the studio course itself.

Personal anecdote: sometimes I will circle-back to a student I met with in the beginning of the studio session before I leave the classroom to see how they progressed. These can be great times for a student to get a “double-dip” of feedback and springboard even further in the project. Another benefit of being ready, being first.

Final Thoughts

As I tell all my students throughout the semester, critiques are biased. You are getting the subjective opinion of a notable designer based on his/her own experiences, observations, and wants. You do not need to agree with everything that is discussed during the session. Absorb the information provided and make the best decisions for your project moving forward.

With that in mind, I truly believe the desk-critique is the cornerstone of good studio instruction. If you approach it seriously and optimistically, you can find great value in how it will help shape your future design capabilities and the organization of your projects.

If you liked this post and wish to learn more about landscape design and drafting, be sure to check our Design Resources section for more articles like this one.

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