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Guide · Design critique
How to run a design critique that improves the work
A crit is only useful if the work is better afterwards. This guide is the process behind the design crit in Irreplaceable: set the goal, look in the right order, rate what you find, and leave with a short list of changes.
By Sarit Elisha, founder of Irreplaceable · Updated October 10, 2026
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Before the crit
Most crits go wrong before anyone looks at a screen. Agree on four things first.
The goal
What should this screen get done, for whom? Feedback that isn't tied to a goal is taste.
The person
Who uses it, in what moment, on what device. A screen for a first visit and one for a daily user are judged differently.
The constraints
What can't change: the platform, the data, the deadline, the design system.
The stage
A sketch needs feedback on the flow. A screen about to ship needs feedback on states, copy and edge cases.
What to look at, in order
Big things first. A typo isn't worth discussing on a screen that leads people to the wrong action.
Hierarchy and layout
Does the screen lead to the right thing first? Is there one primary action?
Rule CORE-01: One primary action, clearly the strongest
Trust and control
Can people see, steer and undo what the product does, especially with money, data or AI acting for them?
Rule CORE-05: Irreversible actions are named as such and confirmed or undoable
Uncertainty, errors and states
What happens when it's empty, loading, wrong or partly done? Most screens are reviewed only in their happy state.
Rule CORE-07: Errors say what went wrong and how to fix it, next to the problem
Craft and copy
The words, labels, spacing and details that make it feel finished and say what will happen.
Rule CORE-03: Labels say what happens, not 'OK' or 'Continue'
Rate what you find by severity
A crit that lists twenty equal comments gets none of them fixed. Label each one.
- BlockerPeople can't finish, or the screen harms them: money, data, consent.
- MajorMany people will hesitate, misread or make a mistake.
- MinorFriction or polish. Worth fixing, rarely urgent.
Give feedback people can act on
Four habits that make a comment easy to act on.
Point to the screen
Say where: "the total, top right", not "the pricing".
Describe the problem, not your fix
"People may not see the fee before paying" leaves room for a better solution than "make it bold".
Tie it to the goal or the person
Explain the consequence, so it isn't read as taste.
End with an order
Close the crit with the two or three changes that matter most, and who owns them.
Common questions
Something else? Write to hello@irreplaceable.studio.
What is a design critique?
A focused review of a design against its goal. The point is to improve the work before it ships, not to judge the designer. A good crit ends with a short list of what to change, in order.
What's the difference between a design critique and a UX audit?
A critique looks at work in progress, usually one flow, with the team. An audit reviews a shipped product against a checklist. The same rules work for both: see the UX review checklist.
Can AI run a design critique?
It can do the checklist part well: hierarchy, states, copy, consent and the rest, on every screen, without getting tired. It doesn't replace the conversation about goals and trade-offs. Use it as a second pair of eyes before the team crit, so the crit can focus on the bigger questions.
How do I give design feedback without sounding harsh?
Tie every point to the goal or to a person using the screen, describe the problem rather than your fix, and say how severe it is. "People may not see the total before paying, which is a major issue" is easier to act on than "the total is weird".
The checklist
Every rule a crit checks, written out.
The UX review checklist has all 102 rules, each with where it applies, why it matters and how severe a miss is.