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In your Design Specifications, you listed the different testing methods you will use to check each specifications. If you have come to this part of the design cycle, it's time to actually 'design' the tests, and use them! But first, lets take a look a more in-depth look at the different testing methods.
Imagine you are tasked with designing a sports car. Here are some of your specifications:
The car must have a length between 4400 and 4500 mm
The car must go from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 3.8 seconds
The car must have a futuristic and sporty appearance
The controls for the stereo system must be intuitive and easy to use
Let’s look at how each of these could be tested
Your testing method should be unique to your product. When you are asked to 'design testing methods', that means you should plan out your test before you do it. For an inspection, you can make a checklist of things to inspect, with a space to write the result. For a survey, you should write out the survey questions. For a performance test, you can plan out how the performance will be tested, what tools are needed, and what measurements will be taken. For a user observation, you can write a procedure about how your product will be introduced to the user, and what observations you are looking for.
Other testing methods that aren't discussed above are:
client interview- use this if your design was made for a specific person or organization (your client)
expert appraisal- use this if there is an expert who's opinion you can get. You would show them your design, explain your goals, ask some questions and allow them to share their thoughts
Crash test image from IIHS.org. This is a type of performance testing.
Student Example
This is an example of a client interview. The designer's job was to design a Rhino themed chess set. The client here, was a student who was part of an organization raising awareness about Rhinos who are being hunted.
Here, you can see that the designer planned out the interview questions they wanted to ask. They then recorded the interview, and typed the transcript.
Client Interview Procedure:
Show the client the chess piece. Give it to them and let them hold it. Then, ask the questions below:
What do you think about the size of the chess piece?
Do you see the relationshipo between rhino and the chess piece?
Do you think the chess pieces is simple and appropriate to be used by chess players?
What do you like most about the chess piece?
How could the chess piece be improved?
Transcript of Interview
Lynn- What do you think about the size of the chess piece?
Si Eun- I think the size of the chess piece is a little bit small, but it is an appropriate size to be played. And I think the size of the letter is appropriate in a ratio to the size of the body.
Lynn- Do you see the relationship between ‘rhino’ and the chess piece?
Si Eun- Um...I think if you know that the chess piece is about the rhino, it is easy to recognize the meaning of the letter above the chess piece which stands for R of the ‘rhino’, but if you don’t have any knowledge about it, it would be very hard to recognize what it is about.
Lynn- If all of my designed chess pawns were printed as a prototype, would it be more helpful to recognize the theme of the rhino? (showing the design idea of all the 8 pawns)
Si Eun- Yes, sure.
Lynn- Do you think the chess piece is simple and appropriate to be used by the chess players?
Si Eun- Yes, a lot.
Lynn- What do you like the most about my chess piece?
Si Eun- I like that the overall design of the chess piece is simple. Also, it reminds me of the rhino easily when I see the entire series of the chess pawns.
Lynn- What would be the possible improvement of my chess piece since it is a prototype?
Si Eun- If the size was a bit bigger, it would be much easier to be played by the players and to recognize the theme of the rhino.
Lynn- Thank you so much for your time!
What do you need to do for this part of the Design Cycle?
Create testing methods that allow you to evaluate all of your specifications
Simple quantitative specifications, such as the size of your design, can be tested with an inspection
Qualitative specifications, need to be tested by involving other people (survey, user interview, expert appraisal, etc.)
Your tests should ultimately determine if your design is successful or not. It's ok if your design doesn't work as intended. What's important here is that you create authentic tests that can show whether the design is successful or not.
Hints and Tips for Designing Testing Methods:
Every design is unique and needs it's own unique testing methods. For each design project, make sure you use at least 2 different testing methods.
When designing tests, your specifications are an important guide. But also keep your original design problem in mind. Whatever your original goal was, create tests to see if it was accomplished.
Make sure to use the right testing method for the job. Don't use a survey when a client interview would be better.
Good testing methods are the foundation for all of your Criterion D. If you do a good job with testing, the rest of Criterion D will be easy!
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