Raise your hand if you’ve experienced this: 

You: “Does anyone have any thoughts or feedback?” 

Everyone else: *Cricket noises*

I’ve certainly been there. And while I love to hear oohs and aahs about my work, when a team has no feedback, it can leave me wondering what opportunities we’re missing. Were they actually paying attention?

As UXers, we want to make the experience as best as it can be for users, and that happens best when our teammates are engaged and collaborative.

For some organizations, this is a cultural shift at times. I’ve found preparing pointed questions for stakeholders ahead of time can create better conversations. Questions I’ve tried before include:

• “We were discussing X but also see Y as a possible option. Do you have a preference for either way?”

• “We felt the ability to do X would be valuable and added in that functionality. Do you think users would find this useful?”

• “What questions arose as I took you through these screens?” 

And sometimes, leaning into the uncomfortable silence is the way to go. Take if from Jehad Affoneh (@jaffoneh), the Chief Design Officer @Splunk.

Some people might need a moment to collect their thoughts but people tend to fill the space and typically have something on their mind, so waiting an extra beat before speaking yourself will likely prompt some reaction.