Aug 28, 2014
This Week’s Episode
Are you considering organizing your first pattern test? Even
though this topic is aimed at designers, there are many other indie
yarn-related businesses that might want to do a market test for a
new physical or digital product who might find these tips
helpful.
8 Tips for Organizing Your First Pattern Test
- Decide what you want from the pattern test
- Choose the right online or offline setting(s)
- Format your pattern
- Set the guidelines
- Create a survey
- Incentivize your testers.
- Organize and use your feedback
- Track the test
It goes without saying that you’ll need to be available to your
testers during a pattern test. In addition, these 8 tips will help
you to organize (and enjoy! and get a lot out of!) your first
pattern test.
1) Decide what you want from a
pattern test
Most designers have several goals in mind when conducting a
pattern test. Knowing what’s important to you will help you set the
test up in a way that gets you the feedback you want.
Some reasons for testing are:
- Editing – If
you’re relying on testers instead of a tech editor, be sure to
select testers who have specific skills (e.g., copyeditors,
proofreaders, mathematicians, etc.). Of course, having another
designer or even a tech editor participate would be ideal. Relying
on testers to edit patterns can be tricky, as many people aren’t as
detail oriented as a tech editor would be while working on a
pattern.
- Market testing
– You can find out a lot about how you describe the pattern, your
pattern format, and your photography from your testers to make
improvements before launch. You may also be targeting a specific
market (e.g., beginners) to see if the pattern is written at the
right level. You can also use a test to decide what kind of
additional resources (such as tutorials) to include based on what
your testers struggle with.
- Building
buzz – Having completed projects for your pattern when
it’s released provide a form of social proof that the pattern
“works.” You might also have a pattern that isn’t very successful,
and adding more projects can increase the level of interest.
Think about how to motivate testers for an existing pattern
(especially if it’s available for free). You may want to retool it
by offering different sizes, more customization options, or
additional tutorials or educational resources, which may motivate
people to try an already available pattern.
- More or better
pictures – Getting pictures in different sizes or better
pictures for your pattern release. Choose testers who have great
project photography, bloggers with great pictures, or local testers
where you can photograph their samples. Don’t forget to get
permission to use their photos BEFORE the test to avoid
disappointment.
- Growing or engaging
with your community – You can find new fans by allowing them
to try out some patterns for free. Existing fans might be excited
to be invited to a secret test or to access a new pattern before
release. Balance your options for engaging your community – is
testing the best way, or should you consider a knit- or
crochet-along?
Based on your goals for the test, you can organize it so
that you can get what you want from it.
2) Choose the right online or
offline setting(s)
Offline testing is a great option if you want to grow your local
community of fans or to photograph testers’ samples in
different sizes or colors. Some places to recruit offline
testers are:
Online testing can allow you to recruit from a large pool of
testers from all over the world! You can find pattern testers
online through:
- Posts on your blog, Twitter, Facebook, or Ravelry group.
- Online groups or forums for specialty projects/techniques,
including groups on Ravelry, Facebook, Yahoo
Groups, and Crochetville and Knitter’s Review forums,
- Ravelry’s many free pattern testing groups. Each has it’s
personality and set of guidelines. Some popular groups are Free Pattern Testers, the Happy Hookers’ Hangout (crochet only),
and Open for Testing. I use the
Testing Pool when I’m looking for new
testers. You can also announce tests for blanket designs in this thread on the Afghans &
Blankets group.
There are also many places online to host a pattern test. Some
options are:
- Your own Ravelry group or one of the Ravelry testing
groups listed above – Your own group may be the best place to
engage your existing fans, but it can be difficult to publicize if
you’re a newer designer or have a small group. Most of the testing
groups allow you to host a pattern test in their group (and
some require it). Each group has different rules, but there are
large pools of testers available. Testing on Ravelry allows your
testers to easily link up projects to the pattern, but it also
means that feedback and comments about the test will be
available to people who search for it.
- Your own Facebook group, or a group that allows pattern
tests.
- A Google or Yahoo group.
- Via email – This is usually the most private option and it
can be easy to sort and compile feedback, but your testers won’t be
able to interact with each other.
3) Format your pattern
You can get great feedback if you share a version that is
completely formatted with your testers. Testers may share their
thoughts on your font (readability, size, and color), layout,
the way you order your information, and other elements of your
format.
If you use pattern testing in conjunction with tech editing,
there are different view points on whether you should test before
or after it is tech edited. Tech editing first can provide your
testers with a clearer and more technically correct pattern. Tech
editing after the test can potentially save you some money on
editing if testers find some errors that you correct before sending
it to your tech editor. At minimum, check your pattern over
before sending it out to testers. Even if you are looking for
editing feedback, you don’t want to leave the impression that you
are sloppy and careless with your patterns.
Decide whether or not to share project pictures. It can generate
excitement for the test, but it can also allow testers to read the
stitches and use the picture as a guide. This may reduce the amount
of feedback you get about problems in the pattern. Without
pictures, you’re likely to have to answer more questions since
people aren’t sure what the finished project will look likely.
4) Set the guidelines
Your testing guidelines set the parameters for your test and let
testers know what to expect from you. You may want to address:
- Yarn – Do testers need to use the same yarn you did? What types
of substitutions are acceptable? Will you need to approve
substitutions before a testers stars the pattern?
- Gauge – Is the pattern gauge dependent? Is a gauge swatch
required? Many crocheters and knitters don’t check their gauge, so
think about how to emphasize gauge if it is important for the
successful completion of the project.
- Deadlines – Be considerate of your testers. Think about the
size and complexity of the final project when setting a
deadline.
- Testing setting – Share a link to the test thread if it’s
online.
- Communication – When do you expect to hear from testers – at
regular intervals or only when they have a question or finish the
project? If you’re holding the test in a testing group, follow
their established guidelines for best results.
- Sharing pictures – Can testers share pictures
online during the test, after the test, or only after
publication?
- Survey – Are there specific questions you need the testers to
answer about the pattern?
- Photographs – If you will use testers’ photographs, ask for
permission up front and indicate where the pictures will be used
(e.g., on your website, Ravelry, Etsy, etc.) and ask how each
tester would like to be credited (by name, by Ravelry name, by
Twitter handle, etc.)
Below in italics is a sample pattern test announcement. Change
the information in all caps to meet your needs.
I’m looking for up to INSERT-NUMBER testers for a
CROCHET/KNIT PROJECT-TYPE. This pattern will be
SELF-PUBLISHED/PUBLISHED-IN.
SHARE SOME DETAILS ABOUT THE PROJECT (ROMANCE TEXT,
INSPIRATION, ETC.) INCLUDE PHOTO IF YOU ARE SHOWING
PICTURES.
Testers will need:
YARN REQUIREMENTS. SHARE SUBSTITUTION GUIDELINES.
HOOK/NEEDLE REQUIREMENTS, or any size needed to obtain
gauge. GAUGE IS NOT CRITICAL TO THIS PROJECT/ALWAYS CHECK YOUR
GAUGE FOR BEST RESULTS. INCLUDE GAUGE INFORMATION AND WHETHER GAUGE
IS BEFORE OR AFTER BLOCKING.
LIST OTHER NOTIONS (e.g., Yarn needle, Cable needle, Stitch
markers)
The deadline for finishing the test is DATE.
This PROJECT is available in ONE/SEVERAL SIZES.
(LIST SIZES AND MEASUREMENTS)
I ask testers to complete the pattern, answer some questions
about the pattern, and to take pictures of their final project. You
can post pictures online (or to your Ravelry project page) AS YOU
WORK ON THE PATTERN/AFTER THE PATTERN IS PUBLISHED. I will also
need you to link your Ravelry project page to the pattern page when
the pattern is published.
If you are interested in testing please POST HERE/EMAIL
ME/SEND ME A MESAGE. If you haven’t tested with me, make sure to
include your email address so I can email you the pattern. (IF YOU
HAVE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS, LIST THEM HERE - E.G., DOES THE TESTER
NEED REFERRALS, LINKS TO THEIR COMPLETED PROJECTS, ETC.)
We will conduct the pattern test in LINK TO THREAD/GROUP/VIA
EMAIL.
Testers who successfully complete the test on time will get
the updated copy of pattern when it goes live, and will be entered
into a giveaway for their choice of any one of my self-published
patterns.
Thanks for your consideration!
5) Create a survey
Add a few simple questions to the email or post where you share
the pattern with testers. Think about why are you doing the test
when deciding what questions to include. Some sample questions
are:
- Was the pattern clear/correct/understandable?
- Do you have any feedback on the format (font, layout,
etc.)
- What type of yarn did you use? How much did you use?
- What size hook/needles did you use? What was the size of your
finished project?
- Approximately how long did it take you to finish the
project?
- Do you have any other feedback to share?
Including open ended questions allows you to get great “sound
bites” that you might want to use for marketing your patterns.
6) Incentivize your testers
The issue of compensating pattern testers is a bit
controversial. Many people feel you should pay your testers since
too many crocheters and knitters “work for free.” I don’t rely on
my testers for editing and so I feel comfortable about not paying
them. However, I do include some incentives.
- Free copy of pattern when it’s complete and incorporates all
the feedback.
- I mail a small token gift with a thank you card to my first
time testers. I use a giveaway that I already use for my
business.
- I often host giveaways (for stash yarn, books I’ve received
from publishers for review, or free copies of my PDF patterns)
specifically for pattern testers.
Other designers may provide a tester with a complete ebook
even if the tester has only tested one of the ebook patterns. At
minimum, send a personal thank you to your testers, via messaging,
email, or snail mail.
7) Organize and use your
feedback
Unless you’re testing only to add more photographs, you probably
want feedback on your pattern. While you may not make changes based
on every piece of feedback, you will still consider each comment
that you get from testers. Some tips for organizing the feedback
are:
- Create a document where you cut and paste all the feedback
you’ve received.
- Highlight and group similar comments.
- Save the document near the pattern so that you can find it
later when updating your pattern.
Once you have the feedback organized, decide what feedback is
relevant and should be included/addressed in the final/updated
version. Look for marketing ideas in the comments. These can
be used in the pattern description or when you are promoting the
pattern.
8) Track the test
Keep track of each tester. This can help you to recruit (or
avoid) testers in the future. Some information you may want to
track:
- Name,
- Contact information (email and/or snail mail),
- User names on the sites where you recruit or hold tests,
- The name of the test(s) the tester is currently participating
in or has already completed, and
- Notes on the type of feedback the tester provided, their
timeliness, or other information.
I also periodically send out a survey to my former testers to
ask about their preferences in terms of project types
and contact.
Other Things to Consider For Future Tests
- Think about when it’s time to bring in fresh eyes. It can be
easier to recruit from your existing testers, but they may not
provide the most objective feedback.
- Reward your longtime testers when appropriate with random acts
of kindness.
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Patterns (Amazon | Gumroad).