A useful critique leaves the maker with a clearer next choice.

Feedback is often graded on how perceptive it sounds rather than on what it enables. The real measure is what the maker can do on Monday morning: whether they now see two options where they saw none, or simply feel worse with the same blank page. Naming a problem without pointing at any door leaves someone stuck more precisely than before.

Before you give notes, decide what choice you want to hand over. Say what you noticed, offer the alternative you can imagine, and make clear they are free to reject it. Ask at the end what they think they will try.