Quick answers to common questions about Visual Tests - Opionate's tools for collecting structured feedback on images, videos, and prototypes. For a fuller walkthrough, see our Introduction to Visual Tests.
Getting Started¶
What's the difference between the Stimulus Section and Pairwise Comparison?¶
The Stimulus Section shows respondents a visual - an image, video, or prototype - and asks directed questions about it, similar to attaching a mini-survey to a piece of visual content. Pairwise Comparison instead shows two visuals side by side and asks respondents to pick a winner, repeated across several rounds - a forced-choice format built specifically for finding out which of several options people actually prefer, rather than gathering open feedback on one at a time.
Is Visual Tests a fully finished part of the platform?¶
Visual Tests is a newer part of Opionate, and it's actively being expanded - both the Stimulus Section and Pairwise Comparison are real, usable features today, with more visual testing methods planned for the future.
Do I need design experience to run a visual test?¶
No - both tools are built for anyone who needs feedback on a visual, not specifically for trained researchers or designers. Our guides on testing packaging concepts, testing logos, and testing ad creative walk through practical, non-technical setups for common use cases.
Stimulus Section¶
What kinds of visuals can I test?¶
Images, videos, and prototypes can all be used as a stimulus, with questions attached directly to the visual to gather structured, directed feedback rather than a single open-ended reaction.
Can I ask more than one question about a single image?¶
Yes - a stimulus can have a full set of attached questions, letting you gather several distinct pieces of feedback about the same visual rather than a single reaction.
Pairwise Comparison¶
How many images can I include in a Pairwise Comparison test?¶
Up to twelve images can be included in a single Pairwise Comparison set.
What's the difference between Random and Leagues mode?¶
Random mode pairs images together randomly across rounds, giving every image a roughly even, unbiased number of match-ups. Leagues mode runs a grouped, seeded bracket-style tournament instead, which is useful when you want a structured path toward a single winner rather than a flat, even comparison across every image.
Does the platform track the full history of who beat whom?¶
Yes - every individual duel is logged, not just the final win counts, which means you can look back at exactly which specific match-ups happened and how each one went, not just which image ended up with the most total wins.
Why does a Pairwise Comparison test feel more like a game than a survey?¶
Each duel includes a bit of lightweight gamification - a quick animation marking the winner of each round - which is deliberate: it tends to keep respondents engaged through more comparison rounds than a plain, static choice would, which matters since a useful Pairwise Comparison test usually needs several rounds per image to produce a reliable ranking.
Should I trust the raw win count, or does the ranking use something more sophisticated?¶
Raw win count alone can be misleading, particularly in Leagues mode, where a strong image knocked out early by an even stronger one won't get credit for how well it actually would have done against weaker competition. Our Pairwise Comparison guide and Visual Testing Metrics guide cover how to read results properly rather than relying on win count alone.
What's on the Roadmap¶
Does Opionate support card sorting, tree testing, or first-click testing?¶
Not yet - these are established visual and information-architecture testing methods, and they're on the roadmap for future Visual Tests expansion, but they aren't available today. Our Visual Testing Metrics guide covers these methods on their own terms, including how they differ from what the Stimulus Section and Pairwise Comparison currently offer, for anyone evaluating whether they need one of these methods now versus later.