Work / Case study / Enterprise research / 2019
Validating a discovery concept before anyone built it
Task-based focus groups run against an interactive prototype. Fixed flows, comparable signal, and a de-risked engineering investment.
The problem
A new analytics discovery concept needed validation with real users before engineering invested in building it. The team needed evidence that the core flows, finding the right people, finding the right data, and searching effectively, matched how analysts actually think and work.
The approach
Structured, task-based focus groups run against an interactive prototype rather than open-ended discussion. The protocol walked participants through a defined set of flows.
- Reviewing and orienting on the home page.
- Selecting a subject-matter-expert card and reaching the detail view.
- Selecting a data card and reaching the detail view.
- Searching from the home page, including filters and type-ahead suggestion, through to results and a detail page.
Each flow had a fixed sequence of prototype screens, so feedback was comparable across participants and tied to a concrete interaction rather than a hypothetical.
The outcome
Comparable, flow-level feedback on a concept before build, letting the team refine the prototype and de-risk the engineering investment. The protocol turned subjective reactions into structured signal mapped to specific screens and tasks.
What it demonstrates
- Designing a rigorous, task-based concept-testing protocol rather than unstructured feedback sessions.
- Using interactive prototypes to validate flows with users before committing build effort.
- Producing comparable, decision-ready research signal at enterprise scale.
Method-only. Proprietary tool names, real participant names and IDs, and internal data removed. No confidential employer material reproduced.