Crit Court · A design critique system in a box

Revisiting Critiques

Crit Court turns the usual design critique into a structured, participatory process. Two sides argue from evidence in the work, an instructor keeps the room fair, and the maker leaves with written notes from everyone.

Start the Process Explore the Cards

Mr. Hammer, a figure with a gavel for a head, holding a clipboard and pointing at the headline

Box + Process9 stages, 15–33 min
Prompts4 categories, 11 questions
Participant2 groups, writers and speakers
Instructor1 facilitator, keeps time

Every card in the box carries one of these four colors. The site uses them the same way.

About

Crit Court was made to make critique more engaging, thoughtful and collaborative.

Instead of one voice in the room, two groups argue the work, a judge keeps time, and every opinion needs a reason. Everyone shares perspectives, challenges ideas and grows together, and the maker leaves with notes they can actually use.

The Getting Started card. Tap it to turn it over.

Matchbox5.8 × 3.75 × 1.375 in

The Box

Everything comes in a matchbox. Slide it open.

The sleeve explains how a session runs and the tray holds the cards. Drag the box to look around it, turn it over to read the back, or slide the tray out from the open-court end.

Drag the box to turn it.

How it works

Two groups, one piece of work, a judge with a stopwatch, and a few rules for talking about design.

ObserveLook closely before you judge.
DiscussEach side builds its case.
ChallengeCrossfire: question the arguments.
RespondRebuttal: hold your position.
ReflectNotes go back to the maker.

Inside the box

Getting Started card
Process guide
Judge manual
Participant manual
4 discussion prompt cards

15–35 min · 1 judge · 2 groups

Sleeve 5.8 × 3.75 × 1.375 in, closed at the back. Tray 5.6 × 3.625 × 1.25 in. Board 1/16 in thick.

Box + Process9 stages

Process

Nine stages, dealt in order. Pick a card to see what happens.

Each stage has a clock, a job, and the people who speak during it. The two filled cards are short resets where everyone gathers their thoughts.

Running a live critique? Project this page and open Present Crit. Each stage gets a large countdown, its instructions stay on screen, and you decide when the next stage begins.

Bar widths show each stage at its longest. Striped: optional. *Times are totals, split between both sides.

Discussion prompts4 categories

Prompts

Stuck for something to say? Draw a prompt card.

Four categories move from what you can see to what the work is trying to do. Tap a card to turn it over and read its questions.

Observation → Materials → Function → Design intent

Participant manualBoth groups

Participant

Two groups, one piece of work, and evidence for every claim.

Each group assigns its own writer, and speakers rotate frequently. The writer can speak too. Roles rotate every session. The manual folds into four panels, one for each stage below.

Instructor manualThe facilitator

Instructor

The instructor runs the room, not the verdict on the work.

The instructor keeps time, keeps it fair, and helps the group look more closely. At the end they can summarize what both sides found and share their own observations. The summary is optional: the instructor leaves it out when they think it isn't needed. They never declare the work good or bad.

Timing signals

A tap on the table tells the speaker how long is left without stopping them. Select a signal to hear it.

Words to leave out

Subjective labels end the conversation. Ask for the specific thing behind them.

~~uglybadgoodpretty~~

"It's ugly.""The legs look thinner than the top suggests they need to be."

"It's good.""The rounded edge of the top invites you to touch it."

Card libraryThe full deck

Cards

Everything in the box, laid out on the table.

Filter by color, then open any card for a closer look. Two-sided cards turn over, and the two manuals unfold panel by panel.