I have a wonderful profession. I love drawing mockups, thinking through user moves, looking at references, and being inspired by different styles of design. Communicate with clients and developers.
When I was just a beginner layout designer, of course, I was criticized a lot, and I, in turn, completely succumbed to working on mistakes. In addition, to be honest, there was something to criticize me for. On the other hand, I had excellent "teachers" - professionals who, by their own example, could show how to do it, and not just teach while standing at a white board with a marker.
But still it was a healthy culture of communication. Where each team member had a voice. Where it was possible to submit any idea without fear of being ridiculed and misunderstood. Where was all the transparent and open discussion of tasks. Where you could ask for an opinion, for example, about the new logo design and get healthy constructive criticism. What do I mean by this term? Adequate feedback, supported by specific examples and helping to improve. When the critic takes the position of directing, not destroying. After such criticism after working through, there is no feeling of worthlessness. You clearly know what is wrong and what you need to pay attention to. You go and refine (or correct errors) the layout. And then - you agree on the facts that it turned out much better.
There are a lot of articles on the Internet on how to respond to criticism, how to criticize correctly, etc., but I still think that not all projects have a culture of handling criticism. Sometimes people take the word "criticism" literally. And they begin to criticize from a position of strength - the wrong color, the wrong lines, the wrong thought, the wrong question. They forget or do not want to talk about good moments. Their position is that everything is not so good and everything is bad.
Aggressive criticism just unsettles me.
I've been wondering why people do this for a long time. The first thing I realized was the complexes and injuries of the critic. Baby or not - it doesn't matter. The main thing is that a person in a state of such criticism does not control himself. He is aggressive and merciless, even if he smiles at you with his 32 teeth. And this, dear friends, is very dangerous. The important rule is never to work with abusers! It is fraught with your precious health.
The second is when this criticism is intentional, that is, criticizing a) your competitor who seeks to elevate himself and his services, or b) tries to bring down the price for your services, or c) completely get rid of it as an unnecessary resource. My advice when doing this - do not forget who you are and what you are worth. It's hard sometimes to remain calm under such influence.
If you have doubts about your importance, you can ask a friend, colleague, mom, or someone you trust about your job or even about you as a person. The main thing is not to withdraw into yourself.
For me, my customers are an important criterion for the adequacy of criticism. If the same comments are repeated from client to client, then this means you need to work on yourself. It means somewhere I fail as a professional. But if, for the majority, everything is ok. And only one or two starts to act up and often these whims are inflated from some trifles - that means it's not about me.
I wish you all a healthy relationship with customers and I recommend reading the book "Discussing Design" from Aaron Irizarry and Adam Connor
