Rapid Validations ("Rapids")
While comprehensive research provides valuable deep insights, teams often need focused validation to maintain velocity and make confident tactical decisions on specific concepts and designs. To address this need, the UX Research team offers Rapid Validations (or “Rapids”), a research-led process designed to help teams quickly validate design decisions with real users.
What are Rapids
Rapids are usually set up for a product domain or an initiative, as a continuously running research programme that runs on a two weeks cycle, answering focused questions like: Should we build this? Does our approach make sense? Will users find value?
UX Researcher responsible for the product domain or the initiative works with the Product Design Manager, and the Product Manager to assess whether Rapids is needed, and when, based on how fast the team is moving, and how much research is required. Rapids are usually set up when the team needs to adopt a move fast, learn fast delivery model, and paused when the team switch to the plan thoroughly, move deliberately model.
What are Rapids for? Quickly test concepts and designs you’re unsure about, from early ideas to specific solutions like wireframes, mockups, or prototypes.
Not for complex research questions or broad exploratory studies. The process is optimized for narrow, targeted testing.
What to Expect from Rapids
Rapids will inform you with quantified scores and qualitative insights around how well your concept or design performs with users, and clear recommendations to help guide your next steps. See report template here (internal link).
Fast turnaround
It usually takes 2 weeks to go from ideas to insights.
Quantified UX Metrics
Clear scores on how well your concept or design performs with users:
For Concepts
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Value-fit - Does this solve a meaningful problem for users?
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Workflow-fit - Can users see how this fits into their current process?
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Understandability - Do users grasp what this concept does? (depends on concept maturity)
For Designs
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Perceived efficiency - Will this save users time compared to their current approach?
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Task success or First click - How easy to use or intuitive does this appear?
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Overall satisfaction - What’s the general user sentiment?
Qualitative Insights
The story behind the numbers: What worked well, pain points, and user needs that explain the scores and provide context for decision-making.
Clear Recommendations
Go/no-go guidance based on quantified metrics, plus improvement suggestions based on user feedback and qualitative insights.
How to Request Rapids
To make sure your request is a good fit for Rapids and gets prioritized appropriately, submit it by creating a comment on the main epic using the template, ensuring you include:
- Clear description of the design/concept, highlighting 1-3 specific aspects you’re unsure about
- Context: Why does this need validation now? What’s driving the urgency?
- Target user segments for testing
The UX Research team will schedule your Rapids and inform you of next steps, provide feedback to improve your request, or offer suggestions for alternative research methods if Rapids is not the right fit.
Rapids are a bi-weekly process that starts on Mondays, so make sure you submit your request the week before your tentative Rapids cycle. Earlier submissions are preferred as they allow time for follow-up questions and clarifications.
Note that for efficiency, each product domain has a default recruitment criteria for their Rapids. If you need different types of participants, it might take longer to schedule your study.
How Rapids Work: Who Does What and When
Rapids are a research-led initiative where Research handles the core execution tasks - from script creation and session moderation to data analysis and report writing - while PD provides the brief and materials to test.
Rapids follows a structured timeline with interdependent tasks across PD and Research. A detailed day-by-day breakdown of tasks with exact dates and timelines will be provided in the dedicated research issue for each Rapids cycle. Here’s a high-level overview of the process flow:
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Intake (Before Kick-off): PD submits research request; PD and Research align on research objectives; Research evaluates fit and confirms kick-off date
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Week 1 - Research Preparation: PD prepares and shares test materials (e.g. prototype, wireframes, sketches, concept description, etc.), briefing Research on what needs validation; Research creates research issue, briefs ReOps, and tailors test script; ReOps schedules user sessions
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Week 2 - Research Execution: Research moderates sessions, analyzes data, and drafts report; PD is encouraged to observe sessions and assist with note taking
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Wrap-up and Action Planning: PD reviews report and define actions; Research shares insights broadly, and follow-up on progress.
Note: Given the interdependent collaboration model and accelerated nature of Rapids, commitment to this specific flow ensures the process works effectively. Missing key deliverables or dependencies may result in the cycle being cancelled or moved to another research slot, subject to prioritization against other competing requests.
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