ch 8- Testing and Experimenting with New Ideas

What is a prototype?

What does fidelity mean?

What are the three levels of fidelity?

A prototype is an early model of a product used to test ideas, design, and functionality before final production.

Fidelity refers to how realistic or detailed a prototype is.

Levels of fidelity:

• Low-fidelity: Basic sketches or paper designs focused on structure and flow.

• Medium-fidelity: Includes some visuals or basic interactivity.

• High-fidelity: Detailed, interactive, and closely resembles the final product.

What is a storyboard?

What is a mock-up?

What is a minimum viable product (MVP)?

• Storyboard: A high-level visual sequence showing how an idea or product works, using drawings or sketches.

• Mock-up: A static visual model that shows layout and appearance without interactivity.

• MVP: The simplest version of a product with essential features that allows teams to test assumptions and collect customer feedback efficiently.

What is a pilot experiment?

What is preselling?

• Pilot experiment: A small-scale study conducted to assess the feasibility of a product or service before full launch.

• Preselling: A testing technique where you try to book or sell orders for your product before it’s officially available to measure market interest.

What is prototype selection and why is it important?

Prototype selection is the process of deciding which prototype to move forward with based on testing results, project goals, and feasibility. It ensures that time and resources focus on the design with the best potential for success.

What are the key steps in the scientific method of experimentation?

1. Ask a question (e.g., Will changing the “Buy Now” button color increase clicks?)

2. Form a hypothesis (make a testable prediction).

3. Research rationale (why you expect a result).

4. Design the method (set up testing or control groups).

5. Analyze data (compare results).

6. Draw conclusions (support or reject the hypothesis).

Explain the “Buy Now” button color experiment example.

• Question: Will changing the color of the “Buy Now” button from green to red increase click-through rates?

• Hypothesis: Red will increase clicks.

• Rationale: Research shows color affects emotion and decision-making; red is associated with urgency.

• Method: A/B test—50% of visitors see a green button, 50% see a red one. Run for 2 weeks.

• Analysis: Compare click-through rates.

• Conclusion: Use results to support or reject the hypothesis.

What is market validation?

What is unconscious bias?

• Market validation: The process of confirming whether there’s actual demand for a product or service before fully developing it.

• Unconscious bias: Automatic, unintentional attitudes or stereotypes that influence understanding, actions, and decisions.

What is the truth curve?

What is a button to nowhere?

• Truth curve: The idea that data and evidence gradually reveal what’s true about a market or concept as experiments progress.

• Button to nowhere: A fake or non-functional button used in prototypes or tests to measure user interest and behavior.

What is a landing page?

What is task completion?

• Landing page: A single web page created for a marketing or testing campaign to measure user engagement or conversions.

• Task completion: A usability metric that measures how effectively users can complete a given task during testing.

What is a pilot and what is an MVP?

• Pilot: A small preliminary test or trial to identify issues and gather feedback before a full launch.

• MVP (Minimum Viable Product): The most basic version of a product that delivers value while testing assumptions and gathering feedback with minimal effort.