01 / The Purpose of the Final Critique

A website is never just a collection of code. It is a designed experience that helps people find information, understand a message, and interact with content. The final critique gives you an opportunity to look at your work from another person’s perspective.

You will review your own website, explore the websites created by classmates, and identify changes that could improve clarity, usability, visual consistency, and responsive behavior.

02 / Prepare Your Website for Review

Before the critique begins, make sure your website is ready for someone else to explore. A classmate should be able to open your site, understand its purpose, and move between pages without needing you to explain how everything works.

03 / Present Your Website

Prepare a brief presentation of your final project. You do not need to explain every line of code. Focus on the purpose of the website, the audience, and the decisions you made as a designer.

Your presentation should address

1. Concept: What is your website about, and why did you choose this topic?
2. Audience: Who is the website designed for?
3. Visual direction: How do your colors, typography, images, and layout support the subject?
4. Structure: How did you organize the pages and navigation?
5. Technical decisions: Where did you use CSS Grid, Flexbox, responsive media queries, or semantic HTML?
6. Challenges: What was difficult, and how did you address it?
7. Next steps: What would you improve if you had more time?

04 / How to Give Constructive Feedback

Useful critique feedback is specific, respectful, and connected to the purpose of the design. Avoid comments that only express personal preference, such as “I don’t like that color.” Explain what you noticed and how it affects the experience.

Try the “I noticed / I wondered / I suggest” method

• I noticed: Identify something that is working or something that may need attention.
• I wondered: Ask a question about the designer’s intent.
• I suggest: Offer a possible next step or improvement.

05 / Peer Critique Worksheet

Use these questions when reviewing a classmate’s website. Record specific observations rather than general statements.

Write your feedback

06 / Revise Your Website

After reviewing feedback, decide which changes will make the biggest difference. You do not need to implement every suggestion. Consider your website’s purpose, the needs of its audience, and the time available.

Prioritize your revisions

Use this order when deciding what to fix:

1. Critical: Broken pages, missing content, or navigation that does not work.
2. Important: Readability, responsive layout, accessibility, and unclear page structure.
3. Polish: Small visual refinements and decorative details.

07 / Final Technical Check

Before submitting your final website, test it as if you were a first-time visitor. Check every page and do not assume that something works simply because it looked correct while you were building it.

/* Images should fit their containers */
img {
  max-width: 100%;
  height: auto;
}

/* Example of a mobile-first gallery */
.gallery {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: 1fr;
  gap: 20px;
}

@media (min-width: 600px) {
  .gallery {
    grid-template-columns: repeat(2, 1fr);
  }
}

@media (min-width: 900px) {
  .gallery {
    grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr);
  }
}

This is a reminder of the responsive techniques from Week 12, not a requirement to replace your own layout. Keep the CSS that best serves your design.

08 / Final Reflection

Reflect on your progress throughout the semester. Your reflection should discuss both the finished website and what you learned about web design.

Reflection questions

• What was the original idea behind your website?
• Which design decision are you most satisfied with, and why?
• What was the most challenging part of building the website?
• How did peer feedback or testing influence your revisions?
• What did you learn about HTML, CSS, responsive design, or accessibility?
• If you continued working on this site, what would you improve next?

09 / Final Submission Checklist

Use this checklist to confirm that your project is ready to be evaluated.

10 / What to Submit

Submit the following items through the course’s designated submission area.

11 / Course Wrap-Up

Throughout AMDE 155, you have worked with the building blocks of web design. Your final website brings these skills together in a project of your own.