What are the best ways to validate acceptance criteria with customers and end users?

1 Involve them in the discovery process

One of the best ways to validate acceptance criteria is to involve your customers and end users in the discovery process. This means that you should not write acceptance criteria in isolation, but rather collaborate with them to understand their problems, goals, and preferences. You can use various techniques to elicit feedback from them, such as interviews, surveys, user personas, user journeys, story maps, and prototypes. By involving them in the discovery process, you can ensure that your acceptance criteria are based on real user needs and insights, not assumptions or guesses.

3 Conduct user testing

A third way to validate acceptance criteria is to conduct user testing with your customers and end users. User testing is the process of evaluating the usability, functionality, and desirability of a feature or product by observing how real users interact with it. You can conduct user testing at various stages of the development cycle, such as before, during, or after coding, using different methods, such as usability testing, A/B testing, beta testing, or feedback sessions. By conducting user testing, you can verify that your acceptance criteria are met and that your feature or product delivers the expected value and satisfaction to your customers and end users.

4 Review and refine them regularly

A fourth way to validate acceptance criteria is to review and refine them regularly with your customers and end users. Acceptance criteria are not static or fixed, but rather dynamic and evolving, as you learn more about the user needs, the market conditions, and the technical constraints. Therefore, you should not treat them as a one-time activity, but rather as an ongoing conversation with your customers and end users. You should review and refine them frequently, using feedback loops, retrospectives, demos, and reviews, to ensure that they are still relevant, accurate, and feasible.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?