Before you start
A prototype or paper mock-up and three realistic user situations.
Why this lesson exists
The telephone-pole story asks a practical question: does the software still help when someone is distracted, mobile or offline? Evaluate the conditions around the model, not just its answer.
Do the exercise
Describe the setting
Record the device, available time, network quality and likely interruptions. Use an ordinary example such as checking a delivery address on a phone.
Trace one task
Write each action from opening the tool to confirming the result. Mark places where a wrong answer or repeated tap could cause a problem.
Test three failures
Try missing data, a slow connection and an interrupted session. Decide what the user should see and how their previous work is preserved.
Write a recovery rule
For each failure record the visible message, the safe next action and the information needed to resume. Test with someone who did not design the interface.
A prompt to adapt
Replace the bracketed parts with your own practice details.
Review this workflow in its actual setting. Task: [task]. Device and conditions: [conditions]. List three realistic failures. For each give a visible user message, a fallback, a recovery step and a test I can perform. Do not assume a reliable network or full attention.
What this looks like
If an upload is pending, the screen should say pending. A reassuring checkmark before server confirmation makes the workflow harder to trust.
Check your result
Use evidence from your output. A confident explanation from the AI is not enough.
- Pending, successful and failed actions are distinguishable.
- Interruptions do not silently discard work.
- A new user can recover without reading developer logs.
If it isn’t working
If every test happens on your development laptop, borrow a slower device or throttle the connection. Record simulated conditions honestly rather than claiming a field trial.
Optional. Progress stays in this browser.
Where this came from
Adapted from the archived LinkedIn theme “Software Is Judged at the Top of a Telephone Pole.” See the post coverage and editorial method.
Prepared September 2026. Tools and interfaces change; use current official setup instructions. Session lengths are estimates.