A city staggers a new permit web form to some applicants while others still use the legacy form, then compares completion rates. What comparative-evaluation caution applies?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
A staggered rollout is a chance to compare, not a free pass to declare victory. Watch for confounders—different neighborhoods, seasons, or traffic mixes—before crowning the new form. Careful comparison beats hasty causation.
Full Explanation
Comparative evaluation of treatments, including staggered rollouts, can inform UX and process decisions when outcome definitions are sound and confounders are considered. Naïve attribution of any rate difference to the form alone overstates causal certainty. Refusing comparison entirely wastes a useful design, and merging treatments into one unlabeled rate destroys the contrast. Awareness-level A/B thinking emphasizes careful comparison.