Constructive Criticism, Necessity or Necessary Evil?

Taking criticism is a challenge for most people, especially when the criticism is in regard to a particular passion - like design. We consider the giving and taking of constructive criticism to be a necessary presence in our community. We design to compete and win, yes, but we also design to improve our skills. Unlike some competitions where you submit your designs and never hear a word, Local Motors presents an open forum approach. Your peers vote and comment on your work, and if you are fortunate, you will understand your score at the end of the day.

I have taken a bit of time to reconsider the competition entries and I have pulled out what I consider to be constructive criticism. I am not claiming that all criticisms are "true" or "right", but simply points of views and different perspectives. These comments are without a doubt how part of your audience perceives your designs, and that is worth considering.

You will notice that I have not taken the time to draw attention to generalized comments that state a design is simply "good" or "bad". While these comments can be encouraging or an indication of current voting, they are not always constructive. How can we learn from generalized comments? You may not have time to dissect everyone's work, but when you do have a moment and you do have something to say - I hope you will.

We sought many of our members out purposely. We saw your work, your talent, your unique perspective - and we knew our Community required your input. Thank you for being a part of this progress. Make no mistake, you guys are among the most progressive car design communities.

I hope each participant gained insights to make themselves more competitive for the next challenge. If you were not so lucky, request more comments - reach out to those you respect and admire specifically.

Here are a few comments I found worthwhile:

Aurel to pnthr: "IMO, the kamodo is more inspired by the Renault Racoon than by the Unimog. The 3/4 front view is really interesting and dynamic. I like this monolithic volume. ■Aurel."

Braunarsch to Benbordone: "hooo boy the colour is a bit tooo extreme lol! of course the shape of the vehicle, and the design, is not bad.... the trailer idea also looks cute.... i just got a little startled by its "incredible hulkiness".. nice work!"

Jrogers to Dunders: "Would definitely like to see more here. Your idea and water and flower inspiration are compelling. People always crave to know how amphibious works. Need to show them it can work, but it takes work!"

Filski to Tiger90: "it's just the small wheels off the very corners of the car, with no apparent mechanical connection :-/ "

klii to juniorstang: "Very cool idea, but a smaller image size and revamped presentation would really benefit this design. I really, really like the boat under-body concept."

Siddhu911 to Skot: "would like to know more about this one....if i am not wrong, u have two motorcycles on the roof ( top right sketches)...,.how do u get them there.."

PennyandPony to Funky2dj: "The perspective view looks very great, but the side view of it needs some adjustment especially the section beside the rear wheel, Also if you take more consideration about the function of the car ,you will get more interesting ideas. Good luck!"

Sleepy to Nurlan: "I like the front and the back, but the passengers have very little visibility. Also u should have made the front/left/back/top drawing a little more opened, its too cluterred. "