Supporting Experiment Template
Use this template to design and conduct exploratory, confirmatory, and technical experiments
Supporting Experiments
This template is used to document the many supporting experiments that comprise a single primary experiment. Each supporting experiment is drawn from a slice from the divergent stage of one of the triple diamonds. Some common supporting experiments include
- Exploratory Experiments: Used to uncover patterns, insights, or hypotheses. Often open-ended and inductive. For example, observation, conversation, secondary research, ideation
- Confirmatory Experiments: Used to test a clear hypothesis. Controlled, deductive, and evidence-seeking. For example, people access test, customer pain validation, solution validation
- Technical Experiments: Used to compare, validate, or refine solution design and implementation decisions. Focused on how things work, not just what people think or do. For example, A/B tests, micro-validations, component trials, usability checks, feature verification
General Info
- Title / Observation Type:
- Date:
- Location / Setting:
- Team Member(s):
- Modality (e.g., Interview, Observation, etc.):
- Linked Primary Experiment:
1. Clarify the Unknown
- Most Urgent Unknown: What uncertainty are you trying to reduce?
- Other Urgent Unknowns: Why is this one most pressing?
2. Experiment Type
3. Modality and Fit
- Modality Chosen (e.g., Interview, Observation, Survey, etc.):
- Why it fits this unknown:
4. Design
- Source of Evidence:
- Collection Mechanism (Interview guide, survey, etc.):
- Sampling Strategy:
- Sample Size Goal:
5. Execution Notes
- What did you actually do?
- Who did you reach?
- Deviations from the plan? Surprises?
- Sampling biases?
6. Results and Data Summary
- Link raw data, quotes, tables, etc.
- Highlight key findings:
7. Knowledge Updating
- What do you now know?
- How confident are you? Why?
- What assumptions did you update or abandon?
8. Next Steps
- What are you doing next based on this experiment?