A presenter finds a file in seconds. Your notes say, “Search works.” But did they use a prepared folder? Did anyone try an unfamiliar query? Could you repeat the task with your own material?
Useful product demo notes separate three things: what the presenter claimed, what you observed, and what remains untested. Record the conditions beside the result. A demonstration answers a question about that session; it may leave questions about your own use unanswered.
Choose the task before the demo
Write down what you need to do, where you would start, and what a successful result would look like. “Find an old project note using a phrase I remember” is more useful than “see the search features.” It gives the presenter a task to show and gives you a result to inspect.
Bring one awkward case, too: a missing file, an unfamiliar phrase, or a step you usually find confusing. Ask whether it can be included. If the session cannot cover it, keep it on your follow-up list.
Keep “said,” “seen,” and “open” separate
Use these labels in your notes:
- Said: The presenter described a capability. Use quotation marks only for exact wording.
- Seen: You watched an action and its result. Note who performed it and what material they used.
- Open: The session did not answer your question.
This follows a useful principle in the GOV.UK guidance on analysing research sessions: record observations separately from interpretations. Here, that means writing down the search you watched before deciding what it proves.
Example: rewrite a vague search-demo note
This is a fictional example using a generic document-search tool, not a Recolx product test.
The first note reads: “Finds everything instantly. Should work for our whole archive.”
Replace it with a record another person could check:
- Task: Find the project handover note.
- Claim: The presenter said project notes were searchable; this is a paraphrase.
- Observation: They entered “handover checklist” and opened one matching note.
- Conditions: They used a prepared sample folder. I did not see the setup or test my own files.
- Reference: My session notes under “handover example.”
- Next check: Ask to repeat the task with an agreed, non-sensitive sample and a query that has no match.
The result is worth keeping: a matching note was found. The claims about every file, speed, and the whole archive are not established. You can judge the result without filling those gaps.
For your next demo, copy the six labels above and leave space for short answers. Add the date, product name, and version if known. Do not turn missing version information into a guess.
Ask for a demonstration, not reassurance
“Is it easy?” invites an opinion. “Can you show me the steps from the starting screen to the finished result?” gives you something to observe.
Other useful questions include:
- Which parts were done live, and which were prepared earlier?
- What happens when there is no match or an input is missing?
- Where can I check this limitation after the session?
A promise to send documentation later is a follow-up, not evidence already received. If someone accepts that follow-up, record it separately with the agreed timing. See our meeting action-item guide for turning that commitment into a task.
What if a feature was not shown?
Write “not demonstrated,” not “does not work.” A failed attempt under known conditions, an unanswered question, and a feature omitted from the agenda are three different findings.
If later documentation contradicts the demo, keep both references and their dates. Ask which version or conditions explain the difference before resolving the note.
Close with what you know and what you still need
Send a short recap: what was demonstrated, what was only described, and which checks remain. Keep any recommendation separate and state what it rests on.
Written notes may be enough. An authorized audio recording can help recover what was said, but it cannot establish an on-screen action you never saw. When checking a specific visual result, use a permitted screenshot, video, or repeat demonstration.
Edited by Recolx Editorial. Updated September 17, 2026.
