Better default settings are key to smart product development. But what, exactly, is better?

Ravi in Toronto asked me a sharp one after reading my email about default settings: “We don’t always trust our own judgment on default settings choices. What’s a good way to test defaults without overwhelming users?”

My answer isn’t to pile on pop-ups or surveys.

That makes users second-guess the very thing you’re trying to simplify.

It’s also distracting for a team that has bigger fish to fry. (Which is EVERY team.)

A clean test looks invisible:

Half your users see Option A pre-selected.

Half see Option B.

No extra clicks, no added friction. Then you measure what matters. Do they leave it as-is, and does it improve stickiness?

If both get abandoned, you’ve learned something more important: the choice itself wasn’t helping.

Defaults are meant to guide, not nag.

Test them quietly, and let behavior tell the story.

Want to make your product irresistible? That’s what we do as product marketing consultants at Graphos Product, helping innovators turn need-driven ideas into market-ready successes.

Don’t forget to shoot me your own questions whenever you have one. And thanks, Ravi!