Unit 4 · Lesson 13 of 20
State what improvement would look like
Write a testable claim about patient understanding and the cost of the change.
01 / Learn
Learn the method
Fictional case
The clinic team has a prototype with a receipt-backed message and a delayed check-in branch.
Terms for this lesson
- Design hypothesis
- A testable claim that connects a change to an expected behavior.
- Outcome measure
- An observation used to judge the effect of a change.
- Competing cost
- A possible added effort or consequence introduced by the change.
A design hypothesis connects a change to an expected behavior. Name the person, the task, the proposed change, and the observation that would support it. For this clinic, the change is a receipt-backed status. The expected behavior is that patients can explain whether the clinic received their arrival and choose the right next step.
State the mechanism. A message tied to the service receipt gives Mira evidence about what happened, while a sending state explains the interval before the receipt. The team expects these cues to reduce repeat check-ins and status questions. The explanation makes the claim specific enough to test.
Add a plausible cost. A longer message might slow people during a busy morning; a delayed state might send more patients to reception. Choose observations for both the intended benefit and the cost. Record what patients say the clinic knows, what they do next, and how long the task takes.
A useful hypothesis can change after study. Write an observation that would challenge the proposed mechanism, such as patients continuing to ask reception after correctly reading the receipt message. That result would direct the team toward lobby expectations or staff visibility.
Use the method
- Name the patient, task, and specific design change.
- State the expected behavior and the reason for it.
- Choose observations for the benefit, a possible cost, and a challenging result.
A testable hypothesis names an observable benefit, a possible cost, and the behavior that could change the team's view.
- GOV.UK Service Manual: Capturing research questions ↗Start method selection with an uncertainty the team can act on.
- GOV.UK Service Manual: Using moderated usability testing ↗Write believable, neutral tasks that answer a research question.
- Nielsen Norman Group: Iterative Design of User Interfaces ↗Revise, observe again, and keep unresolved questions visible.
02 / See the reasoning
Worked example
The team writes: 'For patients arriving at the clinic, a message shown after the service receipt will help them identify confirmed check-in and move to the waiting area. The extra text may add reading time.' They prepare observations for status understanding, repeat entry, reception questions, and reading time. Each observation speaks to a part of the claim.
Try a decision →03 / Decide
Guided decision
Which hypothesis gives the study the clearest observations?
Feedback on your choice
What could change the answer: Patients who understand the receipt and still seek staff help would shift attention toward the lobby journey and reception expectations.
Use this feedback to examine your choice and written reasoning.
Build your case file →04 / Build the case
Your case file
Fictional case update
The prototype also includes a delayed state with a visible reception-help route.
Evidence and constraints
- Fictional proposed change: the kiosk shows a received message only after an appointment-service receipt.
- Fictional proposed change: a delayed branch explains the request's current state and gives reception help.
- Fictional current behavior: some patients repeat entry or ask staff after seeing Done.
Write a second hypothesis about the delayed state. Include the expected patient action, a possible extra demand on reception, and an observation for each.
Create: Two testable hypotheses with observable benefits, costs, and challenging evidence.
Each claim connects a specific design change to a patient behavior and a realistic tradeoff.
- The change and patient task are named.
- At least one observation covers the intended effect.
- At least one observation covers a possible cost.
The hypothesis identifies what the usability task needs to reveal.
Lesson complete
You added to your case file.
You studied the method, practiced a decision, and added an artifact to your case file. Carry that reasoning into the next lesson.
05 / Keep working