The idea
The quality of feedback is partly constrained by the resolution of the artifact being reviewed. Rough work often permits only structural feedback; clearer work exposes deeper issues.
Worked example · illustrative
Getting useful feedback on a workshop
Situation. You tell a colleague about a workshop you’re planning and ask what they think. “Sounds useful,” they say. That’s encouraging, but you were hoping to find out whether people would understand the main idea.
The tempting conclusion. I wish they’d give me something more useful than “sounds good.”
What changes the view. So far, they’ve only heard the topic. You send them the explanation you plan to open with and one activity you’d like people to try. This time, they point out a term people might not know and a step in the activity that’s hard to follow. Having something to read and try gives them more to respond to.
What this supports. You didn’t need a finished slide deck to get those comments. A short explanation and a sample activity were enough to start talking about where people might get stuck. If you wanted feedback on the workshop’s overall direction, a rough outline might have been more useful. What you share can match the question you’re asking.
Useful when
Watch for
Make the part relevant to the requested feedback concrete. Premature polish can waste effort or make tentative choices appear settled; identify what remains open.
Where this came from
PhD supervision, Internships, Writing