As a designer, one of the biggest challenges I have faced over the years has been communication. It can be difficult to work with someone when one or both of you cannot communicate effectively. Between freelancing, working as an in-house designer, and serving as a contracted “agency” for outside companies, I have been in numerous situations that have served as teaching moments. There are three things that I have found immensely helpful when one is striving to communicate better: asking questions, explaining why, and showing if you can’t tell. Utilizing these three methods can help things run smoothly, and keep both clients and designers happy.

Every one of us has been on both ends of the job hunting story: we’re either looking or know someone who is looking. And no doubt every one of us has received well-meaning advice from someone who hears we are looking. Every time I renew my job hunt (and tell people about it) I am on the receiving end of quite a bit of advice, tips, suggestions, and more. Some of it has been helpful in one way or another, but other commentary proved to just frustrate me further. So I decided to put together a list of five things you should avoid saying to someone who’s looking for a new job.

I have been at the receiving end of all four of these kinds of critiques, from the time I was a kid taking art classes after school and well throughout my career. I’ve also been on the delivering end of most of them. As a creative, critique is unavoidable, but one could argue it’s unavailable as a working adult in general. Learning about these four types of critiques can help more than just the creative person you happen to work with, and you’ll realize you likely criticize more than just a designer’s work. Read on for the four different types of critique and the best way to deliver a critique.