Clients often believe that you have to have a polished interface to show to users before you can get good feedback. Nothing is further from the truth. The most valuable feedback happens before you’ve even touched a computer.
Category: design validation
![Reverse card sort setup](https://i0.wp.com/questionablemethods.com/files/2012/01/Reverse-card-sort-setup.jpg?fit=640%2C419&ssl=1)
Even with a good content management system it can be hard to re-arrange stuff after you’ve gone live. Take the time to test out your proposed navigation with a reverse card sort to quickly iterate to a working model.
![three icons signifying cheap (dollar sign), fast (lightning bolt), reliable (thumbs up)](https://i0.wp.com/questionablemethods.com/files/2011/11/cheapfast-reliable.png?fit=629%2C296&ssl=1)
Cost-effective, quick research techniques don’t always inspire confidence in your data. Perform many small incremental studies to build reliability over time.
![diagram of a user-centered project lifecycle](https://i0.wp.com/questionablemethods.com/files/2011/11/UCD-process-in-project-lifecycle-circled.png?fit=687%2C428&ssl=1)
You kicked off the project with a Design Thinking session. Now that you’ve started development, run fast and cheap tests to stay user-focused.
![List of Nielsen's ten usability heuristics](https://i0.wp.com/questionablemethods.com/files/2011/11/ten-heuristics.png?fit=425%2C260&ssl=1)
Check your product is following simple rules of interface design. It’s fast and finds potential UI issues before your users do.
![Cycle of observation, ideation, prototyping, testing](https://i0.wp.com/questionablemethods.com/files/2011/11/One-week-UCD-cycle.png?fit=548%2C392&ssl=1)
Spend just one week to get the information you need to build your product right first time. Use these techniques to plan your sprints or even to work out what product to bring to market.
![Toto pulls back the curtain on the wizard of Oz](https://i0.wp.com/questionablemethods.com/files/2011/11/wizard-of-Oz-curtain.jpg?fit=736%2C558&ssl=1)
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. He’s working frantically to find the next sketch to show to the study participant. He might even be drawing it as we wait.
![Revolving doors entrance to large building foyer](https://i0.wp.com/questionablemethods.com/files/2011/11/revolving-doors-c-Thomas-Hawk-.png?fit=1143%2C669&ssl=1)
Design validation is not a phase, it’s a continuous part of the process. Testing your designs tests your assumptions and lets you make quick course corrections.