The Brutality of Graphic Design

produce a set, series or sequence of 10 images that visually answer the question ‘WHAT IS….(your colour)?’. so we did.
after working rigorously all week we all had produced a series or set of images that represented what we thought of as our colour, it had come to the end of the week and we were told that we would be having a 'crit' or discussion if you will, about what we had produced. we were split into groups of complimentary colours i.e. yellow and purple etc and were were told too arrange our work on the walls so that it could be seen by everyone.
We were then told how this would work, we would discuss our opposing groups work separetly saying what was successful about each piece and what was not, dicussing it and looking at each piece and seeing if it showed, "What is.... (your colour)?" We were then told that we would have to decide which was most successful and which was not, comparing each one with all the others and arrange them in first and last place. i felt sickened and shocked.
my heart sank immedietly and as we began talking about each piece it felt wrong. the idea of comparing work in first or last place was disgusting. we all have no doubt been working extremly hard this week on the project trying to find an individual way of doing things and seriously complating about the colours that we were given. taking into account that this was the first real project that could involve more of a breadth in graphic design rather than just on the concept of type design, the pressure was on to produce something that for the first time really said something about not only our colour but about ourselves. as the crit progressed we were told that the work would be taken off the walls as we told our opposing group who came last and who came first starting obviously with the last. again this was so wrong. the ideas that were generated were all different and individual and showed an opinion which in my eyes, an opinion is an opinion not wrong or right. it was heart-rendering to see work that was amazingly good be torn down and discarded so brutally. these peoples work that we had to tare down from the wall we have known for just over a month, a month. we are still on a fresh basis with each other and sometimes might forget each others names, how gutting and almost nasty is it to force us against each other and say whose work is the worst. i couldn't bare to look at the persons work who we had jsut slated and given it a fourth, second or even a first place.
i realise that i myself may not have a strong personality on commenting honestly and realistically without feeling a certain reluctance about doing so. i understand graphic design is a competitive working area but to publicly say its good but not as good and 'sonesone's' work is a horrible honesty. i think there should be some subtlyty about comparing peoples work in such a sensitive way, we are still human at the end of the day, we have feelings and emotions beyond what we do in the workplace. its almost like bullying but we havn't known these people for long and to turn around and say someones work is "shit" to be perfectly frank, and now we have to work with these people for the next 3 years is shocking to me.
some people in the group are very opinionated, and i think it really showed in the discussion, it made me feel uneasy, like graphic design is programmed and has order and dicipline as if because your work was different you had to suffer and the only way forward is to fit with the niche, restricting your work. but graphic design should not be boud by first or last place its about ideas and difference.