Host: Japanese Society for the Science of Design
Name : THE 73rd ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF JSSD
Number : 73
Location : [in Japanese]
Date : June 12, 2026 - June 14, 2026
This study focuses on “design critique (DC),” a comprehensive approach to feedback, discussion, and review in product development. While DC is a critical process affecting the quality of the final product, it has not been sufficiently systematized in the field of product design. This study examines the progression of DC and investigates how power dynamics among participants influence the process. To this end, we conducted a reanalysis using reflexive thematic analysis based on semi-structured interviews with corporate representatives and external designers. The results revealed differences in the progression of meaning-making and evaluation within DC depending on the nature of power relations among participants. Specifically, when power relations were balanced, meaning-making through dialogue tended to precede evaluation. Conversely, when power relations were asymmetrical, evaluation tended to come to the fore prematurely before sufficient meaning formation had taken place, leading to restricted dialogue. These findings indicate that DC must be understood as a process that progresses from meaning formation to evaluation.
