Just wondering how many people would be interested in doing critiques of designs? I’m thinking of group critiques where you bring in and present your idea just for feedback sake? They would have a designated time frame to lend them a little structure. Also feedback is a requirement for attendance. Kind of like a murder of crows. Only a little less Burton. Seems to work for the design students up the hill.
Erik
if I send from my alias in gmail, the list bounces it. here's what I
tried to send.
Crit doesn’t mean criticize in a negative sense. I’m thinking of a modified form of art critique. Like so:
Rules: comments and criticism must be of a constructive nature baring a situation where the presenter is proposing something that is potentially harmful or illegal. Then destructive criticism is allowed as an immune response of the community and membership.
Accelerants: Beer, Pizza
Act 1:
The presenter stands and runs through the project idea and design. Talks about problems with the current design and other options and thoughts to resolve those problems.
Act 2:
The presenter sits while the attendees consider the idea and design then present how they would do things differently or resolve current design problems. The presenter may not speak unless spoken directly to during this act. They may not expound beyond that which is sufficient to answer any questions that are asked.
Act 3:
Presenter may then stand and and respond at will. Session ends when the presenter thanks the attendees or until everyone is too drunk to critique rationally.
Thoughts on this style? Should Beer and Pizza or their acceptable variable (e.g. chocolate and coffee) accellerants be provided by the presenter as a kind of “payment” for attendance?
I would suggest chicken as a possible alternative to pizza only when
the available levels of pizza as an accelerant are exhausted.
I was reminded of something they do at Noisebridge in SF called "Five
Minutes of Fame":
https://www.noisebridge.net/wiki/Five_Minutes_of_Fame
It's basically an hour consisting of ten 5-minute talks that can be
about whatever people choose. They can be informative, requests for
help, showing off finished projects or theoretical. It just gives a
venue for people to get an idea that they're interested in across to
others.
I'd support having a night like this on something like a monthly basis.
~Dave
That was basically the idea I had but more focussed on project design process and critique. I think and wholly support the “5 minutes of fame” idea. I would like to have a longer block of time to really sit down and get at the details of certain projects. It doesn’t necessarily have to be structured. Just something that people get together and do. Honestly I’m just looking forward to bouncing project ideas off people.
Erik
i think it sounds great, if for no other reason than to get a detailed look at what other people are doing. not sure how much i could contribute, but i would definitely like to spectate.
i have sat in on some microsoft style software architecture reviews and they are, in a word, unpleasant. people tend to get pretty religious about their projects so i think a heavy emphasis on feedback, rather than criticism can go a long way.
Microsoft … “unpleasant”. Really?!? 
Unless you are referring to the sound created when a transducer such as a microphone or electric guitar picks up sound from a speaker connected to an amplifier and regenerates it back through the amplifier, feedback is criticism. The return of information about the result of a process or activity; an evaluative response; the practice of analyzing, classifying, interpreting, or evaluating literary or other artistic works. Criticism, in itself, is not meant to be an attack or reproval. It would seem that a fair number of people have been attacked in under the guise of “criticism” and thus developed an aversion to the word criticism. Calling it “feedback” doesn’t change what it is.
Just sayin’. 