--- title: 2. Designing your test methods description: Your side-by-side test protocols will be mostly driven by what customers said during Preference interview. --- [Skip to content](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/2.-designing-your-test-methods#main-content) English Show submenu for translations ![AIM-logo-white.png\]](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AIM-logo-white.png?height=40&name=AIM-logo-white.png) Open main navigation Close main navigation - English Show submenu for translations - Contact us Contact us BlueHelp® Knowledge Center - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [BLUE HELP](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en?hsLang=en) 2. [Rest of Blueprinting (Steps 4-7)](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/rest-of-blueprinting-steps-4-7?hsLang=en) 3. [Blueprinting Step 4: Side-by-side testing](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/rest-of-blueprinting-steps-4-7?hsLang=en#blueprinting-step-4-side-by-side-testing) # 2. Designing your test methods ## Your side-by-side test protocols will be mostly driven by what customers said during Preference interview. If your team proceeds with Blueprinting Step 4: Side-by-Side Testing, you’ll need to develop some form of test protocol or each of your outcomes (often 10 of them). These tests could measure *anything*… software download speeds… electrical motor efficiency… seed germination time.   To design the best possible test method, ask yourself 5 questions…. 1. What did you hear in Preference Interviews? This should be the primary driver of your test methodology. If 7 out of 8 customers recommended the same test, you probably have your answer. 2. Will this test method be understood and accepted by most customers? Can you imagine using results from this test in your promotional efforts? 3. What is your capability for running this test… or having it run for you? 4. How *reproducible* is this test method? 5. How well does this test *predict* the real-life outcome you are interested in? ![](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-286.png?width=525&name=image-286.png) You should also consider *what* to test, and *how* to test. ***What to test***: Be sure to test all the alternatives the customer has… not just products that look like yours. If you produce welding machines, the following might be viable customer alternatives to test: - Other welding machines (like yours) - Robotic welding machines - Mechanical fasteners (screws & bolts) - Structural adhesives It helps if you can stop thinking of *your competitors* and instead think of *customers’ alternatives*. ***How to test***: Consider how much rigor you want to apply to your testing. There are 3 levels of rigor you can choose from… Direct Measure, Panel Comparison and Expert Prediction. - *Direct Measure*: Imagine you’re developing a resin for paint. If you want to test for paint settling, you could use a lab centrifuge and measure the amount of material that settles after a specified time at a certain rotor speed. - *Panel Comparison*: Let’s say you’re developing a textile fabric and want to test for softness. You could have a panel of colleagues score several fabrics on a 1 to 5 scale… maybe comparing against standard samples, where cashmere is 5, cotton is 3, and burlap is 1. - *Expert Prediction*: This involves the least rigor. Perhaps you’re developing software and want to test for training time. You might have some internal experts predict performance of each product based on their experience. ![](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-287.png?width=522&name=image-287.png) You don’t have to use the same level of rigor for all 10 Outcomes. It’s fine if you can use direct measure for everything… because this increases your confidence. But it usually also increases your costs in terms of time and money. You want to keep your testing costs reasonable, because your project is in the front-end of product development—and could yet be killed. For this reason, some teams are tempted to completely skip side-by-side testing. But it’s often better for a team to think through this together and ask, “How can we conduct this testing, even if we use a lower level of test rigor?” For more on Blueprinting side-by-side testing, see *e-Module 25: Side-by-Side Testing* at [www.blueprintingcenter.com](http://www.blueprintingcenter.com) \> e-Learning. Also check out the 2-minute video, *[Benchmark competing alternatives](http://www.b2bgrowth.video/36)*, part of the B2B Organic Growth [video series](http://www.b2bgrowth.video) by Dan Adams.   Keywords: Blueprinting Step 4, side-by-side testing, side by side testing, competitive testing, competitive benchmarking, customer alternative, competitive offering, competing product, what to test, how to test, test method, test protocol, reproducible test, direct measure, panel comparison, expert prediction - [Blueprinting Center & Methodology](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinting-center-methodology?hsLang=en#main-content) - [What is New Product Blueprinting?](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinting-center-methodology?hsLang=en#what-is-new-product-blueprinting) - [How is Blueprinting learned and applied?](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinting-center-methodology?hsLang=en#how-is-blueprinting-learned-and-applied) - [Blueprinting Center](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinting-center-methodology?hsLang=en#blueprinting-center) - [Blueprinting E-Learning Course](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinting-center-methodology?hsLang=en#blueprinting-e-learning-course) - [How can I become Certified in New Product Blueprinting?](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinting-center-methodology?hsLang=en#how-can-i-become-certified-in-new-product-blueprinting) - [How does Blueprinting fit with a stage-and-gate process?](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinting-center-methodology?hsLang=en#how-does-blueprinting-fit-with-a-stage-and-gate-process) - [How does Blueprinting fit with strategic planning?](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinting-center-methodology?hsLang=en#how-does-blueprinting-fit-with-strategic-planning) - [How does Blueprinting fit with Design Thinking?](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinting-center-methodology?hsLang=en#how-does-blueprinting-fit-with-design-thinking) - [How does Blueprinting fit with Lean Startup?](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinting-center-methodology?hsLang=en#how-does-blueprinting-fit-with-lean-startup) - [How does Blueprinting fit with Minesweeper de-risking?](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinting-center-methodology?hsLang=en#how-does-blueprinting-fit-with-minesweeper-de-risking) - [How does Blueprinting fit with LaunchStar product launch?](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinting-center-methodology?hsLang=en#how-does-blueprinting-fit-with-launchstar-product-launch) - [What innovation metrics should we use?](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinting-center-methodology?hsLang=en#what-innovation-metrics-should-we-use) - [What is "Jobs-to-be-Done?"](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinting-center-methodology?hsLang=en#what-is-jobs-to-be-done) - [Project Teams](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinting-center-methodology?hsLang=en#project-teams) - [Blueprinter® Software](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinter-software?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Getting Started](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinter-software?hsLang=en#getting-started) - [FAQs / General Questions](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinter-software?hsLang=en#faqs-general-questions) - [Step 1](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinter-software?hsLang=en#step-1) - [Step 2](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinter-software?hsLang=en#step-2) - [Step 3](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinter-software?hsLang=en#step-3) - [Step 4](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinter-software?hsLang=en#step-4) - [Step 5](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinter-software?hsLang=en#step-5) - [Software Security and Setup](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinter-software?hsLang=en#software-security-and-setup) - [Blueprinting Executive Dashboard](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinter-software?hsLang=en#blueprinting-executive-dashboard) - [Technical Issues](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinter-software?hsLang=en#technical-issues) - [Blueprinter Updates](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinter-software?hsLang=en#blueprinter-updates) - [Update Archive](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/blueprinter-software?hsLang=en#update-archive) - [Market Segmentation (Step 1)](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/market-segmentation-step-1?hsLang=en#main-content) - [How to conduct secondary market research](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/market-segmentation-step-1?hsLang=en#how-to-conduct-secondary-market-research) - [How to engage industry experts](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/market-segmentation-step-1?hsLang=en#how-to-engage-industry-experts) - [How to segment markets](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/market-segmentation-step-1?hsLang=en#how-to-segment-markets) - [How to select your target market segment](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/market-segmentation-step-1?hsLang=en#how-to-select-your-target-market-segment) - [“How B2B” is your market segment?](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/market-segmentation-step-1?hsLang=en#how-b2b-is-your-market-segment) - [Discovery Interviews (Step 2)](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/discovery-interviews-step-2?hsLang=en#main-content) - [How to plan Discovery interviews](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/discovery-interviews-step-2?hsLang=en#how-to-plan-discovery-interviews) - [Preparing your interview team](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/discovery-interviews-step-2?hsLang=en#preparing-your-interview-team) - [Convincing customers to be interviewed](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/discovery-interviews-step-2?hsLang=en#convincing-customers-to-be-interviewed) - [How to handle confidential info in an interview](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/discovery-interviews-step-2?hsLang=en#how-to-handle-confidential-info-in-an-interview) - [How to conduct a Discovery interview](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/discovery-interviews-step-2?hsLang=en#how-to-conduct-a-discovery-interview) - [Finding & using a digital projector for interviews](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/discovery-interviews-step-2?hsLang=en#finding-using-a-digital-projector-for-interviews) - [How to conduct a customer tour](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/discovery-interviews-step-2?hsLang=en#how-to-conduct-a-customer-tour) - [How to debrief & follow-up a Discovery interview](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/discovery-interviews-step-2?hsLang=en#how-to-debrief-follow-up-a-discovery-interview) - [Engaging your sales colleagues in interviews](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/discovery-interviews-step-2?hsLang=en#engaging-your-sales-colleagues-in-interviews) - [Engaging distributors in interviews](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/discovery-interviews-step-2?hsLang=en#engaging-distributors-in-interviews) - [Interviewing customers down the value chain](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/discovery-interviews-step-2?hsLang=en#interviewing-customers-down-the-value-chain) - [How to interview remotely with web-conferences](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/discovery-interviews-step-2?hsLang=en#how-to-interview-remotely-with-web-conferences) - [How to interview at trade shows & other venues](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/discovery-interviews-step-2?hsLang=en#how-to-interview-at-trade-shows-other-venues) - [Interviewing in different global cultures & languages](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/discovery-interviews-step-2?hsLang=en#interviewing-in-different-global-cultures-languages) - [How to listen well during customer interviews](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/discovery-interviews-step-2?hsLang=en#how-to-listen-well-during-customer-interviews) - [How to probe during customer interviews](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/discovery-interviews-step-2?hsLang=en#how-to-probe-during-customer-interviews) - [How to gather economic data during interviews](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/discovery-interviews-step-2?hsLang=en#how-to-gather-economic-data-during-interviews) - [How to create & use Current State questions](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/discovery-interviews-step-2?hsLang=en#how-to-create-use-current-state-questions) - [How to identify Must Haves (MH)](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/discovery-interviews-step-2?hsLang=en#how-to-identify-must-haves-mh) - [How to select Top Picks (TP)](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/discovery-interviews-step-2?hsLang=en#how-to-select-top-picks-tp) - [How to use Trigger Maps](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/discovery-interviews-step-2?hsLang=en#how-to-use-trigger-maps) - [How to form Outcome Statements](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/discovery-interviews-step-2?hsLang=en#how-to-form-outcome-statements) - [Preference Interviews (Step 3)](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/preference-interviews-step-3?hsLang=en#main-content) - [How to prepare for Preference interviews](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/preference-interviews-step-3?hsLang=en#how-to-prepare-for-preference-interviews) - [How to schedule Preference interviews](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/preference-interviews-step-3?hsLang=en#how-to-schedule-preference-interviews) - [How to conduct a Preference interview](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/preference-interviews-step-3?hsLang=en#how-to-conduct-a-preference-interview) - [How to analyze your Preference data](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/preference-interviews-step-3?hsLang=en#how-to-analyze-your-preference-data) - [How to build your Market Case](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/preference-interviews-step-3?hsLang=en#how-to-build-your-market-case) - [Rest of Blueprinting (Steps 4-7)](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/rest-of-blueprinting-steps-4-7?hsLang=en#main-content) - [How to build & use a value calculator](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/rest-of-blueprinting-steps-4-7?hsLang=en#how-to-build-use-a-value-calculator) - [Blueprinting Step 4: Side-by-side testing](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/rest-of-blueprinting-steps-4-7?hsLang=en#blueprinting-step-4-side-by-side-testing) - [Blueprinting Step 5: Product Objectives](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/rest-of-blueprinting-steps-4-7?hsLang=en#blueprinting-step-5-product-objectives) - [Blueprinting Step 6: Technical Brainstorming](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/rest-of-blueprinting-steps-4-7?hsLang=en#blueprinting-step-6-technical-brainstorming) - [Blueprinting Step 7: Business Case](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/rest-of-blueprinting-steps-4-7?hsLang=en#blueprinting-step-7-business-case) - [Everyday VOC](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/everyday-voc?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Overview of Everyday VOC](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/everyday-voc?hsLang=en#overview-of-everyday-voc) - [Everyday VOC probing skills](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/everyday-voc?hsLang=en#everyday-voc-probing-skills) - [When to employ Everyday VOC](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/everyday-voc?hsLang=en#when-to-employ-everyday-voc) - [After your Everyday VOC call](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/everyday-voc?hsLang=en#after-your-everyday-voc-call) - [Minesweeper® De-risking](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/minesweeper-de-risking?hsLang=en#main-content) - [What is Minesweeper Project De-risking?](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/minesweeper-de-risking?hsLang=en#what-is-minesweeper-project-de-risking) - [Step 1. Brainstorm Assumptions](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/minesweeper-de-risking?hsLang=en#step-1-brainstorm-assumptions) - [Step 2. Consumption Chain](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/minesweeper-de-risking?hsLang=en#step-2-consumption-chain) - [Step 3. Individual Ratings](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/minesweeper-de-risking?hsLang=en#step-3-individual-ratings) - [Step 4. Team Ratings](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/minesweeper-de-risking?hsLang=en#step-4-team-ratings) - [Step 5. Review Certainty Matrix](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/minesweeper-de-risking?hsLang=en#step-5-review-certainty-matrix) - [Step 6. CheckPoint Plan](https://support.theaiminstitute.com/en/minesweeper-de-risking?hsLang=en#step-6-checkpoint-plan) - [Step 7. 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