Design Tip #9 for Creating Multi-Touch Experiences - Test, Test, Test

After years of enabling our customers to build interactive content, we've identified what we formally call "10 Things You Need To Know When Creating Multi-Touch Experiences". Informally, each tip represents an area of focus whose insight can make the difference between a successful and a failed deployment.

Design Tip #9  - Test, Test, Test

Sorry, but some of your assumptions will be wrong. Worse, it's likely you'll be surprised where those mistakes turn up. So anticipate this fact and test everything.

Be humble and run a pilot

Is your design really as intuitive as you thought? Were you right about the demographics of the typical user? Do your users feel they are being given the right amount of privacy? There's only one way to know - run a pilot. Maybe you sit there with a clipboard or perhaps you have the experience collect data for offline study. Either way, get your work out there and find out what you got wrong.

Location reality may be different from plan

As the old saying goes, trust but verify. Your client told you it’s a quiet, low traffic area. Or it has high visibility. Or it is a low-light environment. Is it? Don't be lazy. Visit the location.

Check network speeds and potential cost

If your deployment assumes an Internet connection - for example, to accommodate remote deployment or data access - make sure it’s sufficiently fast and reliable. You’d be surprised how lousy it can be in public places. And if the installation is isolated, don't forget the cost of a data plan over a 3G/4G connection.

Expect requirement and scope changes

What your client requested and what they meant will, in places, be two different things. And with two weeks to go, that one little change they ask for could require an additional month of work. Regardless of whether your client is outside your company or part of an internal team, share your work early and often. The more you collaborate, the more you get on the same page. Assume nothing.

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