Comparing design options

The following are some goals that involve comparing design options:

• "We are rebranding our mobile app, and would like to get the users' preference between the different design options."
• "We have three design alternatives and we want to ask our users which design they prefer, and where the usability is the best."

This is a typical goal for a qualitative usability study: "Here are two versions; which do you prefer? And why?" We recommend going into this type of study with an open mind. Study sponsors, launching a comparative study with a clear preference, might end up being disappointed by the results. The users might not validate their choices, or the results might be inconclusive when there is no clear winner.