Practices
What NASA Overlooked — And How Asking the Right Questions Changed Everything
A Case Study in Challenging Assumptions
Okay, so we know that sounds a little clickbait-y, but it happened… right in front of us.
A while back, a team at NASA came to us with a clear request: Help us improve our collaboration platform so people actually use it.
Sounds simple enough, right?
They talked about how the platform should have increased productivity and collaboration of the org. When those outcomes were not gained, project owners assumed the problem was about usability.
Now… over the years, we’ve learned that whenever we hear the word “should,” especially in a project’s early stages, it’s a signal to pause and get curious. And our gut told us we were definitely missing something.
Here’s the thing—if a tool is truly valuable, people don’t need to be convinced to use it. So, instead of diving headfirst into a usability study, we took a step back and asked a bigger question: What does collaboration even look like for this team?
Turns out, the way their teams worked together didn’t align with how the tool was designed to function. The real problem wasn’t the platform—it was the team’s workflow. Once we redirected our focus accordingly, we were able to come up with solutions that actually made an impact on productivity and collaboration.
We're not sharing this to say “Look at us! We worked with NASA!” (Although, that was cool!)
We are sharing this because we think researchers can easily slip into being order-takers vs. strategic partners when it comes to scoping new projects. And it can happen without you even knowing it… particularly when your stakeholders are projecting—with confidence—what they perceive the problem is that needs to be solved.
What does it mean to be a strategic partner in this case?
Ask many questions and challenge assumptions. Approach every scoping conversation intent on distinguishing facts from assumptions, and listen as much for what’s unsaid as for what is expressed.
We could have conducted a usability study on the team’s collaboration platform. And we’re sure new product specifications would have come out of that work scope. Yet, none of those product improvements would have moved the needle on improving the team’s real goal, which was to enable better collaboration across the team. That all changed when we began to structure the project as a workflow initiative vs. a usability study.
What is the moral of the story here for you?
Go into your scoping conversation ready to dig into every question/statement that has the word "should" embedded in it. Yes—you might need to move past some discomfort. But get curious and probe with a healthy dose of skepticism as you lead your future scoping dialogues. When you do, you’ll walk away with a full understanding of what the team needs to achieve their real goal. And, chances are, the real answer is hiding somewhere just beyond what’s being said at the start of that conversation.
When was the last time you questioned a “should”? What was the result?
Santana Wright has 5 years of experience in copywriting and social media marketing across multiple industries, from a small-town cafe to a global education group. Her passion for psychology, marketing, and writing and her curious nature push her to constantly explore new arenas and broaden her skills. She joined the Sylver Consulting social media team in 2024 as a Social Media and Marketing Associate Consultant, and she is excited to see how the innovation company can challenge her to grow even further.
The Day My Client Said “You Ruined Me...”
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