That's the question I threw at Matt Wizinsky today after a critique with my students. His answer was mighty helpful. Matt said that situation often means that the student is working outside of their expertise. And, that's not the point of capstone. Basically, if the student is not great at illustration, they should not focus on drawing a bunch of images. Matt shared it's best, to be honest. Tell them it's not working. Then, help them navigate back into their areas of strength. After all, the capstone is the pinnacle of the pyramid. It's a tiny area representing their most outstanding skills developed during their undergrad studies. 

That's an excellent reminder for the capstone critiques or any situation where feedback or criticism is involved.