💡Fake door testing Fake door testing is a Lean technique used to gauge customer interest in a product or feature before its development is started. It helps avoid building features or products that lack user interest. How it works: The process involves presenting a feature or product as if it already exists, often through a button, link, or advertisement. When users interact with it, they open a page that explains that the feature is not yet available, while the company collects data on the level of interest. Dropbox’s fake door is one of the most notable examples of using this technique. Dropbox wanted to validate the interest in their cloud storage service. The founders created a simple video demonstrating how Dropbox would work. The video had a sign-up link for early access. The overwhelming interest and sign-ups from the video (> 70k sign-ups) validated the idea, giving Dropbox the confidence to develop the full product. 5 Practical tips: 1️⃣ Think where you want to place the fake door. It should be naturally integrated into the user flow. 2️⃣ Communicate the value of the feature. People who approach the fake door should clearly understand what this feature is all about. Try to communicate the critical points of the new feature at a glance and use visuals (ideally, video) to reinforce the message. 3️⃣ Collect email addresses of users who approached the ‘door.’ Invite users to leave their emails so that they will be notified about the launch. Also, you can reach people who demonstrated interest in this feature for user research needs as potential test participants (i.e., interview, survey, usability testing). 4️⃣ Set clear analytics criteria for the fake door up front to track user interest. For example, you can define a ratio of the number of people who clicked the link to the fake door vs. the total number of people who saw this link. 5️⃣ Remember the limitations of this approach. Users sometimes click on a UI element that shows a fake door only because they’re curious about a new feature, not because they really want to use it. Also, it is recommended to avoid using fake doors for prolonged periods because it can hurt credibility (it can create an impression of an unfinished product) 📖 Helpful resources: ✔ Concept testing: when & how to do it https://lnkd.in/dbkAKv3N ✔ How to streamline the product design process using Design Thinking, Lean UX and Agile together https://lnkd.in/dXSyrBQD #lean #leanux #productdesign #design #ux #uxdesign
Fake door testing is such a smart way to gauge user interest without investing too much upfront! It's fascinating how Dropbox used this method to validate their concept. 🚀 Thanks for sharing these practical tips and resources!
Really valuable technique for learning 👌
Insightful thank you
Insightful!
Senior User Research Manager at User Research International
1moHopefully this is proceeded by good old fashioned concept testing.