Walk Into Design Review With a Clear Ask, Not Just 'Feedback Please'

The decision you need from this review

You're not asking for feedback on the visual design. You're asking: do we proceed with the single-page checkout approach, or do we maintain the current multi-step flow for first-time users? That's a product and engineering decision that needs alignment before development starts. Frame it this way at the start: "I want to leave this review with a clear answer on the checkout structure before we move to prototyping."

Anticipated objections by stakeholder

Engineering lead: "Does single-page checkout work with our existing form validation?" This is a legitimate technical question, not resistance. Come prepared with: single-page is achievable with progressive disclosure; the validation logic doesn't change, just the rendering. If they push back hard, offer: "what would we need to validate technically before committing?"

Product lead: "Have we tested this with users?" Correct answer: no, this is a direction proposal, not a validated solution. What you've done: you've analyzed drop-off data that shows the address step is the biggest problem. The proposed direction addresses that. Testing comes after we align on direction. Don't let this objection delay the direction decision.

Marketing stakeholder: "Can we add the promo code field more prominently?" This is out of scope for this review. Say so directly: "promo field placement is on the list, but it's not what we're deciding today. I'll flag it for the next design pass."

What done looks like

A good outcome from this review: "We're aligned on single-page structure. Engineering will validate the form approach by Thursday. We schedule prototyping for next week." A bad outcome: "We'll think about it." Push for the first. If you're getting the second, ask directly: "What would we need to see to make this call today?"