A useful experiment begins with a question specific enough to investigate. Before making a prototype, write down what you want to learn and the hypothesis you are testing. A clear question gives the work direction without pretending the answer is already known.
Record the constraints that shape the test: what must remain true, what resources are available, and what is deliberately outside its scope. Constraints are not just obstacles. They help define what a prototype needs to demonstrate—and what it cannot prove.
Build the smallest prototype that can make the question observable. Describe the planned test before running it, then record what you actually see separately from what you expected. A planned test is not a result; a measured observation is not automatically a conclusion.
Keep track of failed assumptions as carefully as promising observations. Note what did not work, what may have influenced the outcome, and which parts remain uncertain. This makes it easier to distinguish a useful pivot from a guess and to choose a sensible next step.
The process follows IDEA80’s four-part rhythm: Imagine possibilities, Design a testable form, Experiment against a stated question, and Assemble what the evidence supports. Each stage can send the work back to an earlier one. Progress means learning what to try next—not claiming results a test has yet to produce.
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