Effort: Medium
What to notice
Explain a completed example’s values and steps before users start their own task.
Where it fits
- Fits
- Novice configuration or creation users blocked by empty forms.
- Use it when
- When users can practice adapting an example to their own conditions.
- Avoid it when
- When sample conditions differ substantially from users’ actual work.
How to build it
- Show one representative example with traceable steps.
- Place each rationale next to the corresponding step.
- Let users adapt it and reopen the example later.
Measure
- Main metric
- Share of eligible first-time users correctly solving a different task
- Guardrail
- Unchanged sample values and experienced-user task time
- How to measure
- Allocate comparison groups before exposure and use equal follow-up and eligibility. Track Share of eligible first-time users correctly solving a different task alongside Unchanged sample values and experienced-user task time.
When it backfires
Submitting unchanged sample values can misrepresent personal data.
Alternatives
Theory behind it
Cognitive load
Searching for a procedure can consume resources needed for learning.
Limited evidence
Self-explanation
Explain why a worked step makes sense rather than merely inspecting it.
Limited evidence
Evidence limits: An editorial web application; conversion effects on this interface are unmeasured. Removing information can also remove necessary understanding. Compare errors and task time separately for novice and experienced users.