In the world of verbals & visuals, subjectivity reigns. So how, in a discipline filled with varying opinions, do you know for sure something will work? We call them field tests.

I often say we don't get paid to design, we actually get paid to help large organizations make decisions. A great way to help groups make those decisions is to show hard driven data that proves a proposed design or name will work.

Traditional focus groups are great for gaining valuable insight into consumer behaviors, but terrible environments for directly testing brand marks, names, or taglines. Simply showing someone a logo and saying "What do you think?" is an injustice to the work. Logos and the like never exist in a vacuum. They will always exist in a some sort of context to be considered (a logo on a business card being handed to you in the hand of man wearing a cheap black suit standing in line at Starbucks with a cheesy grin on his face and latte foam in his mustache, for example ). So to test names, taglines, or logos out of context for opinionated likes and dislikes is an inaccurate measure for effectiveness.

Below are three ways, we've found, that you can properly test ideas.

3 Helpful Field Tests:

Relevancy
Does your target audience understand the core concept in which you are trying to communicate? For example, if you are testing the name "Jam", ask people similar to your target audience what they think of when they hear the word or phrase. "Jam" could be on a sandwich, it could be getting into trouble, or it could be a new hot "Jam" on the radio. If they answer closely to your intended concept then it is a positive response. This is best done in a one on one setting, so group think doesn't taint natural responses.

Memorability
Discovering if a mark or a name is truly memorable is monumentally important for success. You can find fun ways to trick a test group into thinking they are being tested for one thing when in fact you are testing them on something else. For example, if you are testing a brand name aimed at 5th grade students, have their teacher write 10 words (the naming candidates) on the board to "practice their cursive" in a 5- 10 minute lesson. At the end of the day, the teacher can have the students write down what they remember. If some of your top candidates made the cut then you know you're on to something.

Distinctiveness
Knowing if a brand mark or name is truly perceived as different from the competition is a great way to ensure success. One way you can do this for brand marks is to mock-up a proposed design in a sea of competitor's logos. Usually one can tell quickly if it is distinct, but if more data is needed simply poll near by observers for a helpful set of data.

Testing subjective material is always hard, because it is not black & white, it's quite grey really. No two tests should be the same. They should be contingent on the material and audience you are testing. The goal is to dig beyond opinions and boil it down to test the timeless and proven principles. There you will find gold.

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