Here is the second full-text interview of two Q&A's I did with Adrian Shaughnessy and Rick Poynor for a recent article on design criticism education for the February issue of Icon magazine. It was Rick's essay in Icon in March 2006, entitled "Death of the critic", that first got me interested in design criticism, and what this could mean for me as a potential design writer and critic.

Do you think these programs are a step in the right direction towards addressing the design criticism deficit? Is it enough?

The arrival of these courses is good news for anyone who thinks that design criticism matters, but it remains to be seen how many people are interested in writing about design in greater critical depth. There is nothing stopping writers doing that right now, yet the number of committed writers in the field is small. The existence of these courses will certainly help to give critical design writing focus and perhaps some additional credibility. If the courses attract students and if graduates find ways of applying what they have learnt in their subsequent careers, then other institutions will develop similar courses.

Why now? Does this represent a maturation of the discipline of design criticism?

These courses are the fruit of a tendency towards greater self-awareness and seriousness in design writing that goes back to the early 1990s. I don't see this as a maturation of the discipline so much as an inevitable development sooner or later. You could only say there is a maturation of the field when we have a lot of critics, who we know by name, whose writing we encounter regularly, writing critically about every aspect of design in all kinds of outlets. In English-language writing there are plenty of occasional writers of criticism, but there are very few strong, consistent voices identified with rigorously argued and original critical positions. And let's be clear that design journalism, which we do have in abundance, is not the same thing as design criticism. Often it is no more than promotional PR.

What skills do graduates of these programs need to be equipped with?

These graduates will need historical awareness, a deep fascination with design, a healthy measure of scepticism and a willingness to challenge received opinions. Real criticism is going to involve sticking their necks out. Above all, graduates will need the ability to write compelling prose. That can be fostered in those with talent, but not implanted. Without excellent writing that people want to read, "design criticism" will come to nothing. Graduates may also need entrepreneurial skills so they can create new outlets for their criticism.