In short
An evaluation plan says what you will judge, on what medium, by whom, at which times, and what result would count as success, all written before you test. It stops a finished draft from being judged by how long you have worked on it. Everything you need comes from earlier levels. Here you put it in one plan and accept what it finds.
What you will learn
- Write criteria before testing a finished draft
- Choose media and assessors suited to the formula's status
- Report results with their limits
Before this lesson: Formula Design and Iteration Log
Plan headings
| Heading | Example |
|---|---|
| Version tested | V9, made November 8, rested 14 days |
| Questions | Does it read as cool and wet? Does the base last? Is it sweet? |
| Criteria | Your concept page's success test, plus at least 8 hours detectable on strips by two assessors |
| Media | Strips; fabric where relevant; skin only with a finished, assessed product |
| Assessors | You, plus at least three others, none told the concept |
| Comparators | Your V5, and one commercial reference |
| Times | 15 minutes, 2 hours, 8 hours and 24 hours |
| Method | Coded samples, open description first, then ratings |
| Decision | What you will do with each possible outcome |
Match the medium to the status
A formula's status decides what you may do with it. Without a proper safety assessment for that use, a capstone stays on strips and suitable fabric. You can learn a great deal this way, including about opening, development, tenacity and diffusion. What you can't measure this way is performance on skin, and that's a limit you should report plainly. For an understanding of what skin would add, see skin interactions. Do not make an exception because it is "only a small amount".
Questions and methods
- Does it read as intended? A cold read, with the open question first.
- How does it develop? Timed strips and a structured sheet.
- How long and how far? Use your tenacity and diffusion methods.
- Is it better than V5? A blind comparison.
- Is it stable so far? A small set of samples kept under stated conditions, per Level 8. You'll have an early indication and no more.
Reporting results
Fill in a table per question, with the criterion, the result and whether it was met. Then write a conclusion in plain terms:
Invented example: Two of four assessors used a word related to cool or wet. One called it sweet, so the "none says sweet" criterion was not met. Detected on strips at 8 hours by three of four. Not tested on skin. In this small group, the concept partly read. We will reduce the sweetness and retest once before finishing.
Keep the sentence "not tested on skin", or anything else that applies, in the conclusion, so it can't get lost later on.
If it fails
A failure against your criteria is not a failed capstone. You have three honest choices: revise and retest, change your concept and say why, or finish and report what fell short. Moving the criteria without saying so is the one choice that isn't honest. Your case study can only benefit from an account of what you did about it.
Practical exercise: Evaluate the capstone
- Write your plan on one page before you make the final test batch.
- Prepare coded samples and rest them equally.
- Run it with at least three other people, using strips and any suitable fabric.
- Fill in the results table, without changing the criteria.
- Write your conclusion, and carry out your stated decision.
You have done this well if your plan is dated before the results, unmet criteria appear in the report, and your conclusion does not go past your data.
Common mistakes
- Writing criteria after the test. They will fit what happened.
- Testing on skin to be realistic. Status comes first.
- Using people who know your idea. Their answers will reflect that.
Knowledge check
Written and reviewed by the RUŌOD Lab team. This is general education, not legal, regulatory, medical or safety advice. Example dilutions and exercises are for learning, are not validated products, and have not been safety-assessed. Completing a lesson confers no qualification. How we check these lessons.