mario garcia
Daily reviews One way to maintain high levels of creativity is to conduct daily postmortems. It never ceases to amaze me that designers and editors spend months creating a design strategy, but then do very little to evaluate how it works from day to day. This is what guarantees consistency, constant innovation, and, in the end, the longevity of the design. This idea does not apply solely to the big post mortem after a redesign is introduced. In fact, the best publications I have ever worked with are those where there is daily evaluation of what “we did yesterday� and how we can make it better today. Normally, in all of my visits, I engage in evaluations of the work done. I find that it that it is easier for editors and designers to accept criticism and comments from an outsider than from their own peers. Internal reviews are sometimes hampered by the fact that the designer or editor whose work is evaluated may feel that the evaluator simply does not like him/her. The outside consultant is normally seen as an objective mediator, with authority, expertise and no personal agendas. Unfortunately, the consultant cannot be on the premises to perform evaluations, so each organization needs to motivate itself to schedule regular internal postmortems.
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pure design
Here are some tips for effective postmortems:
Focus on a few items (do not attempt to review an entire magazine or four-section newspaper all at once!) Start with praise for work well done. Criticize work on the basis of what needs to be improved, without attacking the author personally. Always offer solutions when presenting problem areas. End the session on a high note with comments about what works!
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