Compare three reference pages before choosing a design

Start with one decision, not a mood board

Example question: “How should our pricing page help a first-time visitor choose a plan?” Choose three pages that address a similar audience and task. Compare only three criteria: how differences are explained, where limits are disclosed, and how the next action is presented. A beautiful page for a different audience may be a poor reference.

Collect evidence you can compare fairly

1. Use the same viewing conditions

   Open public pages you are allowed to save. Use the same viewport width, language, and comparable state. Record the checked date and whether a cookie notice, sign-in, or pricing toggle changed what you saw. Treat an unavailable section as unknown, not as a missing feature.

2. Save three pages in one category

   Create a category for this decision and save each URL. PNG/JPG can preserve the visible layout; PDF may suit reading text. Choose a format and open each saved result to check the parts needed for your comparison. Dynamic content can be missing; record that gap.

3. Write the evidence before judging it

   Use each scrap’s memo to record its source, date, and one observation per criterion. “The storage limit is next to the price” is an observation. “Visitors will choose faster” is a hypothesis that needs testing. Keep both, but label them separately.

4. Choose a direction and a test

   Fill in the worksheet in your text editor, or paste it into a scrap’s memo. Pick an approach for your own audience, note its trade-off, and define the next test. A reference is evidence for a design hypothesis, not proof of conversion or a request to copy its artwork.

Worked example — fictional observations

These are invented examples, not findings about real competitors. A puts limits next to the price but uses a dense table. B has concise cards but places limits in a separate FAQ. C leads with a recommended plan but gives less room to compare alternatives. If finding limits is the task, try A’s information placement with shorter copy. Ask someone unfamiliar with the page to find the limit and explain which plan fits a stated need. Record what confused them before deciding.

One worksheet for all three references

Copy this text or download the file. Record only what you checked. Keep “unknown” where evidence is missing. No account or purchase is required for this worksheet.

Decision to make: 
Audience and task: 
Viewing conditions (width, language, state): 
Criteria (choose three): 

Reference A
Source URL: 
Checked date: 
Saved file or scrap title: 
Criterion 1 — observation / unknown: 
Criterion 2 — observation / unknown: 
Criterion 3 — observation / unknown: 
What this approach helps / trade-off: 

Reference B
Source URL: 
Checked date: 
Saved file or scrap title: 
Criterion 1 — observation / unknown: 
Criterion 2 — observation / unknown: 
Criterion 3 — observation / unknown: 
What this approach helps / trade-off: 

Reference C
Source URL: 
Checked date: 
Saved file or scrap title: 
Criterion 1 — observation / unknown: 
Criterion 2 — observation / unknown: 
Criterion 3 — observation / unknown: 
What this approach helps / trade-off: 

Chosen direction and why: 
Evidence that supports it: 
Hypothesis still untested: 
Next test and what to observe: 
What to recheck at the source: 

Check the source before sharing a conclusion

Prices, plan limits, and page content can change. Recheck the original before making a current claim. A saved file may omit interactive or sign-in content; offline completeness is not guaranteed. Respect site access restrictions and rights when saving or sharing. This workflow does not require bypassing them.