Critiques are scary. In just a few seconds, a seemingly well-conceived, game-changing idea can be shot right out of the sky. I would guess that the fear of being seen as stupid or ignorant is one of biggest hang ups that people have about presenting new concepts or ideas.

Pitching your idea

I’ve learned from personal experience, and from the experiences of others, that there are both good and bad ways to explain an idea. My instructor in an HCI class that I took a year ago taught me the importance of telling a story. This not only improves to overall flow and quality of the pitch, but it also allows me to easily make adjustments depending on if it’s a quick desk critique, or a ten-minute presentation. Here is my general approach:

Provide context. What am I talking about and why should my audience care? Identify problem. What is the specific problem that my idea is addressing? State observations. What has my research revealed? Present solution. Based on this, what is my proposal? Justify decision(s). Specifically, why is my solution worth considering?

No matter how often you do it, effectively pitching an idea can still be tricky. Just remember to talk your audience through your thought process, keep your points concise, and talk at a reasonable pace. Also, remember to breathe (!) and choose your words carefully. It’s amazing how much you can influence someone’s perception of not only you, but also your work, simply by how you speak.

Handling the critique

So, after you’ve presented your idea, or sometimes while you’re presenting your idea, someone will want to give you feedback. How do you handle negative feedback? What do you do when someone is just being a jerk? What is the best way to interpret peoples’ feedback, and apply it to further iterations of your concept? Here’s what I’ve learned: