Prototyping is an essential part of the design process that involves building rough, rapid, and disposable versions of a product or service to validate ideas, generate new ideas, and gain a deeper understanding of user needs through feedback. Effective prototypes come in many forms, from physical models and storyboards to role playing and diagrams, and should be used to answer specific questions about desirability, usefulness, usability, viability or feasibility. Gathering feedback from a variety of stakeholders helps uncover blind spots and refine prototypes.
4. Prototyping
Build to think
Validate ideas and generate more of them.
Powerful communication tool.
Force us to think in more realistic terms about user interactions.
Rough, rapid, right
Disposable. Build quickly and cheaply as possible.
Answer questions
Essential to know which questions you’re trying to answer.
E.g. desirability, usefulness, usability, viability, or feasibility.
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5. Prototype approaches
Models
A physical model takes an idea from 2 dimensions to 3 dimensions.
‚Low resolution‛ prototypes can be very useful.
IDEO Human Centred Design Toolkit 5
7. Prototype approaches
Role play
Discover the emotional experience of a product or service by acting out the process.
Equivalent of a model for service design – takes the experience from 2 dimensions to 3.
IDEO Human Centred Design Toolkit 7
11. Gather feedback
Take the idea out to people who might be using it
Offer them several prototypes so they are more willing to criticise/compare.
Speak with…
People from a group/area that’s different from the one where you did your initial
research (verification).
Some of the people you initially spoke with.
Variety of stakeholders: manufacturers, distributors, etc.
What are our blind spots?
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12. Collecting feedback
Thirds
Ideal people who are successful, adopt new technologies quickly
Extreme users who above average use, especially resistant, or exhibit
problematic behaviour
People who are in between or more ‘average’
IDEO 12
13. Collecting feedback
The internet
Other teams
Your team
It matters because you can’t think of everything
Practice presenting the products to people and gathering
feedback
Simplify/clarify the presentation.
Create a standard script to add consistency to your research results.
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