At Omnivore 2020, chef, Yves Camdeborde, reminded us that critics are what drive gastronomy to change and move forward and that it was indeed critics that enabled him to have another perspective of his work.   He reminded us that the mutual flattery that exists between chefs and the pretty pictures we see on Instagram do not drive progress  He explained that if the feedback, whether positive or negative, is sincere and well presented, it helps the whole industry progress.

I’ve been looking for years for constructive criticism on my designs as the design industry suffers from the same problem as Mr Camdeborde, with designers tending to flatter their peers.  I therefore tell myself that when we say to a chef “that’s great” it’s simply not enough.  The same applies to a designer, who regularly hears “it looks great”.

Just like chefs, we don’t simply work on a single product element but on: stimulating all 5 senses; emotions; reproduction techniques; price; and the global concept.  As a creative, it’s interesting to have constructive criticism, to hear different impressions and analyses.  Just like a dish, objects or shops are imagined, thought out, put together and built by a team.  For creatives, there’s nothing worse than smoothing-over rough edges, biting nails or rounding corners.

These differences are what determine our strengths and signature styles.  They will survive if there is feedback so let’s encourage these differences, provide constructive feedback and move forward boldly together! 😉