Writing critiques in the field of architecture and design
Writing a critique
In the field of Architecture and Design an important skill is being able to critique effectively. A critique may be oral or written. Both forms require an approach that includes elements of description, reflection, analysis and evaluation.
In these activities you will explore a student's written critique of a Virtual Space Theory blogpost. You will consider the kind of critiquing skills it reflects, and some useful language for this purpose. You will also practise writing a short critique yourself.
Activity 1: Recognising critiquing skills in a student commentary on a blog post
In this activity you are going to read an extract from a student's critique, written as part of her course assessment on her course in Architecture and Design. The student has chosen to comment on an article on a Virtual Space Theory blog. You are going to identify some of the critiquing skills that the student has used in her commentary.
Instruction
Open the link to the blog post and skim-read it first. Then read the extract from the student's critique below. Identify examples of the following different critiquing skills in her text. Copy them into the text areas and then read the feedback.
Extract from a student's critique: On the Virtual Space Theory blog, the article "Improbable Urban Events" interested me. This article deals with the advertising industry, and the author explains to us how an improbable event can happen in the virtual world of TV commercials. The author does not explain all the marketing strategies which are used to make these ads, but the article is full of examples to show us things that can happen in virtual places and that cannot in reality. (...)These different examples use the same tool to share their messages: virtual cities. Even if the events are really different, they all take place in a virtual urban environments. Why do they do this? Because anything can happen in virtual spaces. Have you ever seen your childhood drawings taking life and walking in the streets? Not in your real city, but you can see it in the AT&T commercial's virtual world. Videos or places simulated in three dimensions are the new spaces where your dreams become true. People can imagine surrealistic events in virtual cities which look like regular environments to them. They can even build new buildings, or climb the Eiffel Tower, for example. To conclude, I would say that even if the author of this blogpost does not explain an opinion, he makes us realise with examples the power of virtual spaces, the power our imagination can have in these. This power is used in video commercials but it can be used in any field, where imaginations rules.
1. A sentence summarising what the author covers in their blog post article:
This article deals with the advertising industry, and the author explains how an improbable event can happen in the virtual world of TV commercials.
This introductory sentence provides a clear summarising statement about the content of the blog post which the student will critique. It provides an important starting point for allowing the reader to follow the student's critique.
Notice the useful expressions for summarising in English: deals with...; explains how...
2. A sentence stating the scope/limitation of the article:
The author does not explain all the marketing stategies which are used to make these ads, but the article is full of examples to show us things that can happen in virtual places and that cannot happen in reality.
In this sentence the student has noted what the blogpost article does not cover. Although she notes this omission (discussion of 'marketing stategies' might have be regarded as desirable), the student also points out that the range of examples that the author uses is very helpful. In this way, she is evaluating the usefulness of the article.
Notice the useful expression in English for stating the scope/extent of the article's coverage: The author does not... but... An alternative way of expressing this is: Whilst the author does..., ... is beyond the scope of her article.
3. A reflective comment in the form of a rhetorical question:
(Even if the events are really different, they all take place in a virtual urban environments.) Why do they do this? and/or (Because anything can happen in virtual spaces.) Have you ever seen your childhood drawings taking life and walking in the streets?
Rhetorical questions (which use the interrogative form) are a useful device in writing of this kind. They allow you to ask an underlying question and then go on and answer it. They show evidence of deeper reflection about what the author has written.
4. A sentence containing the student's evaluation of the author's article, which includes a comment on its value and a constructive criticism:
I would say that even if the author of this blogpost does not explain an opinion, he makes us realise with examples the power of virtual spaces, the power our imagination can have in these.
This sentence is a reiteration of the idea in 2). It refers to both a lack in the content of the article ( no opinion from the author) and a positive feature of the article ( plenty of examples to help the reader understand the power of virtual spaces). It provides an equally balanced statement evaluating the article.
Notice the useful expression in English for providing a tentative evaluation: I would say that...
5. A further comment, recognising how the scope of the author's perceptions can extend to other contexts:
This power is used in video commercials but it can be used in any field, where imaginations rules.
The student's commentary ends in a very effective way. She opens the article out to a wider context by noting that the author's perceptions can be applied beyond the topic being dicussed in the article, highlighting another positive aspect that she has noted.
Activity 2: Writing your own critique of a blog post
In this activity you are going to practise writing your own critique. As a focus for your critique, you are going to use a different post to the Vritual Space Theory blog. The post is entitled 'unlikely urban interventions'.
Instruction
Open the link to the second blog post and skim-read it. Make notes in the text area provided and use them to write your own short critique. Then read the feedback. Open the help section first if you would like a suggested structure to follow.
Here is a suggested structure/ points for inclusion in your your critique:
An introductory statement summarising clearly the topic of the blog post A description of the approach the author takes towards the topic ( including reference to any examples given) A reflective comment about how successful their approach is (possibly including an example as evidence) A constructive criticism or reference to the scope of the article A final statement which extends the topic in some way or give a sense of an ending
Here is an example critique for you to compare your own writing with (some useful language items and expressions in English have been highlighted):
The author of this blog post is concerned with urban experiences presented through the medium of TV commercials. He first refers to other cases discussed in the blog, which deal with the creation of 'new urban worlds' in the context of architecture and space of TV commercials. This is achieved, the author claims, through "reinterpreting" or "readjusting in an uncommon way, while suggesting that the advertised product is the magic factor that made it all possible". Four vlog links (videoblogs) reflecting this are then examined. The author then analyses the four examples effectively to highlight how they "reinterpret" normal features of an urban context in an unusual way, noticing, for example, how car movement in a busy street presented from unique perspectives is used to advertise the Esso oil company which fuels them. The final unlikely urban intervention is a commercial in which paintings coming to life in their urban environments, attributing extrarodinary power to the advertised product.
