Evaluate a design idea

This article applies to: UserTesting 

On this page:

• Why collecting feedback on design matters
• When to evaluate your product
• Types of evaluations for collecting feedback

Why collecting feedback on design matters

• Collecting feedback on your design helps determine if you're building a solution customers truly want and enables your team to make informed decisions.
• Since your team is deeply familiar with the design, it can be challenging to view it from the same perspective as your customers.
• Gathering feedback early in the project can save time by preventing you from developing the wrong features or reworking a product that doesn’t meet customer needs.

When to evaluate your product

Regardless of where you are in the product life cycle—whether it’s a website, app, software, or another type of product—you can always benefit from evaluation.

Consider evaluating:

• The current version to identify areas for improvement and recognize what’s working well, offering opportunities to learn and grow.
• Early concepts to ensure the project starts on the right track.
• Designs in progress to confirm that decisions are keeping the design aligned with customer needs as the concept evolves.
• Pre- and post-release to measure the success of the final design.

Types of evaluations for collecting feedback

To gather valuable insights, use these types of evaluations:

• Benchmark evaluations to assess the current state of your design and create a basis for future comparisons.
• Usability testing with concepts, wireframes, prototypes, or live designs to ensure smooth interactions and functionality.
• Feedback on messaging to confirm that your wording resonates with your target audience.
• Content organization assessments to improve navigation, especially in content-heavy areas such as e-commerce, intranet, or account management pages.
• Diary studies to gather insights from the same user over time, tracking their evolving experiences.

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