Recently, I have seen a few posts asking for constructive criticism of the poster's web site. I think this is a good thing, and the community here is the appropriate place to ask for such help. However, I thought it might be a good idea to post a thread that helps people to get the most out of a request like that. As a result, below I'm going to outline what I feel is good practice, and I hope other members will add to the thread either to disagree or to flesh out. Perhaps if the result looks sensible the mods can then condense it into a guidelines sticky for future reference.
For those requesting a site critique, I would suggest you include in your post the following:
- A link to your site
- A brief summary of what you are trying to achieve with your site
- An idea of who your target audience is
- How your site needs to interact within the Internet community (do you rely on search engines, do you need to tie in closely with social media, will it operate via word of mouth etc.)
In fact, these are, in my opinion, good questions to ask yourself even before you start designing your site in the first place.
For those giving a critique, I would suggest the following:
- Make your overall comments positive, but don't avoid the truth. A site owner with spared feelings is unlikely to have the information necessary to improve. Nonetheless, remember the days when you were the novice and be sympathetic where a bit of diplomacy is necessary.
- Try to tie your comments back to how well the site meets its design brief rather than how much you like it personally.
- Give your impressions by all means, but back them up with reasons. "I really like the background you're using" doesn't help until you explain why you think it fits the bill.
- State your limitations and assumptions. You may be a techie but weak on aesthetic design, and if so, mention it. That'll help readers understand how much reliance to put on different aspects of your advice.
Finally, back to the requester, follow up on the thread. No-one giving a critique is obliged to do so, so do thank them. You don't have to agree with what they say, but respect their opinion and the time/effort used to give it. And if you find any of it particularly useful, make use of that kudos button.
Anyone anything else to add? Feel free to build on this or rip it apart.
