Concept Testing

In one line: Before committing to full development, show the chosen concept to target customers and measure their response. It is a cheap way to catch a wrong bet and to estimate demand.

Core idea

Concept selection is done by the team; concept testing brings the customer back in. The goal is to learn, while change is still cheap, whether the concept appeals to the people it is meant for, how it could be improved, and roughly how many might buy it. Ulrich and Eppinger outline a structured approach [1].

How it works

1. Define the purpose: which question are we answering? Which concept to pursue, how to improve it, or how big the market is.
2. Choose the survey population: the customers the product is for, not convenient colleagues.
3. Choose the format: face-to-face, phone, online, or in-person with a model.
4. Communicate the concept: a verbal description, sketch, photo, storyboard, video, simulation, interactive mock-up, or physical prototype. The richer the representation, the more realistic the response, and the more it costs.
5. Measure the response, typically with purchase intent on a five-point scale, plus open questions about what customers like and dislike.
6. Interpret the results: stated intent overstates real behavior, so calibrate it before estimating sales.
7. Reflect: what did we learn that should change the design?

In practice

In engineering-to-order and defense work, the “customer” may be a program office reviewing a concept briefing. The same discipline applies: represent the concept as realistically as the budget allows, and ask what would make it unacceptable before asking what they like. For internal tools and processes, a quick mock-up shown to five real users often prevents months of building the wrong thing.

Questions to ask yourself

• Have real target customers seen our concept, or only our team and management?
• Which representation of the concept would give the most honest reaction for the cost?
• What would we change if the test came back lukewarm?

Connections

• After: Concept Selection. Tools: Prototyping. Customer side: Identifying Customer Needs.
• Demand estimates feed: Product Development Economics.
• Capabilities exercised: Inquiry, Decision Making, Communicating and Advocacy.

Sources

• Ulrich and Eppinger - Product Design and Development [1]

[1]

K. T. Ulrich and S. D. Eppinger, Product Design and Development, 6th ed. New York, NY, USA: McGraw-Hill Education, 2016.