The Guidelines:
For this project, the student is to create a menu for a small restaurant that only has a few things on the menu. Examples might be a small coffee house, a sandwich shop, or a vendor at the state fair. The menu must be usable, with item names, descriptions and pricing. This is a fictional restaurant.
Students are required to come up with the worst design they can think of, I mean really bad design, not following any of the design principles. But remembering, it still must be a usable menu.
The Critique:
Two days before the project is due, Each student gives a presentation about their menu design. They talk about the reasoning behind the design, what their inspiration was, how they came up with the idea, and why they did what they did. They must present like it is the best project they've ever done, and they are really proud of it (this is a requirement, they must pretend they love it). After the presentation, we, as a class, critique their work. As a class we must respond in only positive ways. Each student must say at least one good thing about the work, One question for the designer, and one thing they can improve on, all while staying positive. Students are required to only give constructive criticism in a positive way. This teaches us all how to stay positive even when giving negative feedback. The students learn how hard it is to do really bad design.
Student Feedback:
The students really loved this project. The students in classes that didn't do this project were wishing they had at the beginning of the semester. They said that it really helps them learn how to give criticism without being too harsh and demeaning.
