Five tips on how designers can deal with criticism

Clients have been known to kill creativity with one sentence, like: 'I don't like that blue'; or 'can you make the logo bigger?' And what about when the whole of Twitter weighs in and says 'their 5-year-old could have drawn it better?' And newspaper articles are written about Joe Public's disbelief at what was paid for the design of 'that' logo?

How do you accept the crushing body blows of uninformed opinion from someone who probably couldn't even draw inside the lines of their kid's colouring-in book, or public opinion that knows nothing about what goes into designing the new brand identity of a well-known FMCG brand or the coffee shop down the road?

Because when one is creative, your work is part of who you are, you pour your passion into everything you do and the lines often blur between work and personal. Rejection is a part of anyone's life, but when you are involved in the creative pursuits it is often more personal, because your work also defines much of you.

The pundits seem to agree that building up resilience is a good way to overcome criticism and rejection and it is an ability we can all work on, and the right objections may in fact help improve your work, according to blog TheCreativePenn.com.

The point is not to let fear of rejection hold you back from taking risks with your work. Risk taking is essential to push the envelope in the creative industries and come up with bold new concepts. Basically it is only experience that will teach you how to toughen up and deal with it.

Here's my tips, with additional input from sources like Smashingmagazine.com:

1. The right attitude: This takes emotional intelligence for sure, to not immediately slay the critic with a crushing remark. There are no fast rules when it comes to art or any creative pursuit. You bring your own history to what you do, as does your client when viewing your work. The important thing is to remain calm when taking on board other people's views, to stick up for your work when it is required - in a rational way. Be open to new thinking.

2. Your role as a designer: Your role as a designer is to interpret the brief given by a client. So the brief you get is as important as your finished design. Ask for clarity and specifics. And if you need to defend your work against criticism, be clear and specific and only talk to the points raised, not your history with the client, your boss, all suits, how the world hates against design and all forms of creative expression.

3. Your first reaction: For most people (myself excluded... not), the first reaction to criticism is to get defensive. Grandstanding moments of self-righteous belief in your divine creativity can be that 'great moment in career suicide' to quote Smashingmagazine, and if you are tempted, you need to anchor on your coping mechanisms.

We all want to be liked, of course. But if you only surround yourself with people who compliment you, you won't grow. The same is true for great work. Criticism is important to grow. If you can't discuss it right then and there, give yourself a chance to calm down, take a short break, come back later.

4. 'Experience is a worthy teacher': It's true - life is about 'the journey'. You need to act on constructive criticism. And you need to be emotionally aware enough to recognise when criticism is justified or just a cheap shot or really uninformed. And it is experience - reading, learning from others, working with other great creatives, being creative in other spheres of your life, getting out of your comfort zone, taking creative breaks... that will give you the necessary knowledge to be able to judge when criticism is fair or unwarranted.

5. Don't be afraid to ask for honest feedback: Ask questions when someone says they don't like your work, or you can sense there is a hesitation when feedback is given. Remember, you are a teacher too. We all learn from each other. Conversation leads to understanding. Be open and receptive. Aggression is likely to shut down any honest response from the client or anyone else.

Winston Churchill had this witty aside for his critics: "Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things."

So, don't be afraid to stand up for your design, but be humble enough to admit when you're wrong. And go out there and create something, regardless!