SANJIESAN LICENSING / Pilot planning
A small pilot needs a learning question, not a miniature launch plan
A pilot can become a full collection in disguise when every meeting adds another colour or format. Before deciding its size, name the uncertainty the team wants to resolve. A focused development exercise should produce evidence for the next decision; it does not need to imitate the assortment of a mature store.
Separate format questions from artwork questions
Suppose the team is unsure whether a scene belongs on a flat print or a folded display object. That is a format question. If the format is settled but a motif disappears at the intended size, that is an artwork question. Write the two questions separately and choose which one comes first. Changing both at once makes it harder to explain why a sample was successful or disappointing.
Choose the smallest comparison that answers it
Prepare two or three deliberately different options for the selected question, rather than a large set of cosmetic variations. State what remains fixed between them, such as the selected visual or intended use. Ask what evidence is needed: handling a physical specimen, reading a proof at size or comparing a layout. Do not order a complete sample merely because it looks more impressive in a presentation.
Decide what each possible result would mean
Before reviewing the evidence, list the possible next actions: continue with one format, revise the brief, seek another process or stop. Keep the observations separate from the decision. An attractive specimen can still fail to answer the chosen question if it uses a substitute material or size. Summarise the result in terms of what is now known, then scope another round only if a real uncertainty remains.