When I critique writing or presentations, I tend to follow an ordered 3 stage approach: 1. structure; 2. content; 3. style.
Logical structure
My first concern is logical structure. What is the logical structure of the message? What should be the logical structure of the message given the purpose and context? Typically, whether to use a deductive structure, aka telling a story from the beginning, versus an inductive structure, aka getting to the point first and explaining it after if necessary. A deductive structure is for entertainment, an inductive structure is for efficient communication and decision-making.
The structure is about the context of the message which is why I want to understand structure even before the content, and definitely before the style.
Content
My second concern is content. What are you trying to say? Is it correct? Are there extra things you’re also saying that don’t need to be said?
Style
My last concern is about style. Is it clear what you are trying to say? Are there unnecessary words? Are you using overly fancy words? Are you communicating in a way that is similar to the preferences of who you’re communicating to?
With presentations, there are also visual design considerations, consistency, simplicity, etc.
