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How to Compare Designs When Your Team Can't Agree

Stop arguing about taste. Put both versions through the same test and look at what breaks.

·4 min read

Every team has had this meeting. Two versions of a page, half the room likes one, half likes the other, and the person with the biggest title decides. A week later, nobody is sure it was the right call.

The fight happens because both sides are arguing about taste. Taste doesn't settle. What settles an argument is something both sides can check.


Compare what happens, not what it looks like

Put both versions through the same test: same device, same task, every button and form. Then compare what went wrong in each.

"Version B hides the delivery date until checkout" is not an opinion. Neither is "Version A's signup form rejects phone numbers with spaces." Once the problems are on the table, the choice often makes itself.


What to look for

  • Which version shows the price, fees and delivery date sooner
  • Which one gets to the main button with less scrolling on a phone
  • Which forms accept normal answers without errors
  • Which one keeps its promises from page to page
  • What each version gets right that the other should copy

Often the answer is both

Side-by-side checks rarely end with one perfect page. More often, A has the clearer price and B has the simpler form. The best version takes the strong parts of each.

That turns the meeting from "which one wins" into "what do we take from each" — a much easier conversation.


How to do it with a Run

Compare puts two pages or prototypes side by side in one Run. Both are gone through the same way, on desktop or a phone. The Run Sheet shows what each gets wrong, pinned to the spot, and where one does better than the other.

Compare is part of the Pro plan. Bring the result to the meeting, and the room is choosing between facts.

— FAQ

Questions people ask

How do I pick between two designs?
Put both through the same test — same device, same task, every button and form — and compare what went wrong in each. Problems are facts both sides can check.
Can Prior.Run compare two pages?
Yes. Compare runs two pages or prototypes side by side in one Run. It's part of the Pro plan.
What if each design is better at something?
That's common. Take the strong parts of each — the clearer price from one, the simpler form from the other.
How long does a comparison take?
Under an hour — usually about 45 to 55 minutes.
Topicsdesign comparisonA/Bproduct designdecision making

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Compare two versions


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