Time for a Reset: Critique as a Technique for Students and Teachers in Art College: Critique as a technique for students and teachers in art college

Our symposium was a chance to reflect upon my earlier writings, some of the first to challenge the design jury - the sacred cow of design education - starting with my article, "Private Reactions to Public Criticism" in the Journal of Architectural Education (1987) and culminating in my book, Design Juries on Trial: The Renaissance of the Design Studio (1991). The book sparked a movement to implement Studio Culture as a new criterion of the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) for evaluating all architecture schools in North America. These vintage publications helped set the stage for our symposium and subsequent fascinating work by our colleagues presented throughout this book. In this chapter, I reflect upon those early publications and their backstory, analyse the four-phase pilot model to replacing the crit implemented at schools across Ireland, and evaluate pros and cons of online design reviews, a format precipitated by the pandemic, one that is likely here to stay. Finally, I call for a more inclusive pedagogical approach in light of the Black Lives Matter movement and the pressing need to demographically diversify the design professions. Empowering all students to acquire self-confidence while absorbing necessary criticism of their designs is essential.