Turn a product concept into a useful questionnaire

Start with a clear brief

We are developing a compact indoor herb garden with a built-in grow light, a self-watering reservoir and space for three herbs. It is intended for home cooks with limited outdoor space. Explore usefulness, appealing features and concerns before deciding what to investigate with potential customers. No price is specified in this version.

Questions you can adapt

Download this questionnaire (editable Markdown). The download contains the same questions and answer options shown below.

1. How appealing is this indoor herb garden?

   Five-point rating · Not at all appealing; Slightly appealing; Moderately appealing; Very appealing; Extremely appealing

   Starts with the concept overall before drawing attention to particular features.

2. This indoor garden would make it easier for me to grow fresh herbs.

   Five-point agreement · Strongly disagree; Somewhat disagree; Neither agree nor disagree; Somewhat agree; Strongly agree

   Tests the core proposed benefit. Agreement does not prove the product actually delivers it.

3. Which one feature is most appealing?

   Single choice · Compact size; Built-in grow light; Self-watering reservoir; Space for three herbs; None of these

   Identifies a priority among the features actually described rather than letting every feature win.

4. Which concerns would make you hesitate?

   Multiple choice; select up to three · Counter space; Cleaning; Plant maintenance; Electricity use; Uncertain growing results; None of these

   Use none of these alone. If the editor cannot enforce that rule, switch to one main concern or revise the response format before running.

5. How different does this seem from other ways to grow herbs at home?

   Five-point rating · Not at all different; Slightly different; Moderately different; Very different; Extremely different

   Captures perceived differentiation. It is not proof that alternatives lack the same features.

6. Where would this concept fit best?

   Single choice · Everyday use in my kitchen; Occasional cooking projects; A gift for someone else; No clear use for me

   Explores the setting in which the described offer makes sense, without treating the answer as observed product use.

7. How interested would you be in learning more about this product?

   Five-point interest · Not at all interested; Slightly interested; Moderately interested; Very interested; Extremely interested

   With no price given, interest in learning more is more interpretable than a claim about willingness to purchase.

Write the concept before the questions

Specify what the product does, how someone would use it and any constraints necessary to understand it. Avoid calling it revolutionary, effortless or better than existing products. Those claims can push answers toward the conclusion you want. The brief above describes intended functionality; it does not certify performance.

If a second concept replaces the grow light with a larger reservoir, describe both with similar detail. Decide whether the question is about features, complete product concepts or a specific price. Changing all three at once makes the result harder to interpret.

Adapt the questions to a different concept

Here is a second, fictional concept statement: A meal-planning service displays five dinner recipes for the coming week, combines their ingredients into one grocery list and lets users save meals for later weeks. It is intended for adults who plan dinners at home. No subscription price is specified in this version. This is a description to evaluate, not a completed study or a claim about an existing service.

Keep the seven-question structure, but replace the herb-garden references. For the benefit question, use “This service would make it easier for me to plan weeknight dinners.” For the feature question, use weekly recipe suggestions, a combined grocery list, saved meals and none of these. For concerns, replace counter space and plant maintenance with concerns relevant to this offer, such as recipes not fitting dietary needs, limited variety or the effort of updating a plan; keep a none-of-these option.

Change the differentiation reference to other ways of planning dinners and adapt the use-setting options to routine weekly planning, occasional meal ideas or no clear use. Keep the final question about interest in learning more while the price is unspecified. These are replacements for the original questions, not seven additional questions. Review all options for the audience before running; the editable download contains the original herb-garden version.

Add a price only when the offer is defined

If purchase interest is the decision, replace the final question with interest in buying at a specified total price. Include what is in the box, recurring costs and relevant delivery terms. A favorable reaction to an unspecified concept cannot be read as acceptance of a particular price.

Do not ask every available question just because you have room. Repeating seven questions for three alternatives would exceed the ten-question standard-study limit. Narrow the study or select the most useful measures. Ask the app to prepare a setup, then inspect the actual questionnaire before running it.

Separate attractive features from unresolved concerns

Look at overall appeal alongside usefulness and the stated concern choices. The most appealing feature may not resolve the largest concern. For this example, a grow light could be attractive while cleaning remains a reason to hesitate. That combination suggests a follow-up concept description or prototype investigation, not a sales forecast.

Choose audience comparisons in advance. If the outcome depends on handling the product, tasting something, learning an interface or seeing whether plants survive, collect that evidence through the appropriate real-world test. Read the limits of simulated responses.

Before you run the study

Check every question and option against your decision. These are editable starting points, not validated instruments. A standard InstaSights study supports up to ten questions; repetitions for alternatives count separately. Confirm the proposed audience and available comparisons in the app. Individual open-ended comments are not included. Simulated responses do not establish what real customers will do.