Prototyping Approaches
You can use any type of material or methodology/ approach, as long as it enables you to actively test out an idea and learn from it.
Prototyping can be used at all stages of the innovation process in order to either develop and test a new idea, or improve an existing idea through iterative cycles, and finally to learn and test viability of the business model, growth model or policy. You can use any type of material or methodology/ approach, as long as it enables you to actively test out an idea and learn from it, rather than simply talking or thinking about it. Also ensure that you are focused on conducting the prototype quickly and cheaply; it does not need to be a finished product.
The below content has been contributed by Roya Damabi from Alberta CoLab.
When deciding what prototyping tools to use, consider the following.
Purpose
The starting point for choosing your prototyping method is deciding what you want to learn. Do you need to get feedback from end users about look and feel? Do you need to understand how much direction people require? Do you need to understand how your new concept fits with current operations? Different questions require different testing tools.
Audience
Whose feedback do you need? Who do you need to engage in the prototyping process, and for what reason? Understanding the context, capacities, and comfort levels of different audiences will enable you to choose prototyping methods that enable them to jump in quickly and easily. For example, a family member and a social worker may have different language abilities, system knowledge, and play different roles in relation to the prototype that will influence how they are able to engage with it and the type of feedback they are able to provide. Some audiences are quite comfortable with role playing, while others will run away – literally! How you engage others on your prototype should be an enjoyable and useful experience for everyone involved.
Fidelity
Prototyping tools have different degrees of fidelity – from a sketch on the back of a napkin to a digital mock-up of a new online platform. When considering the degree of fidelity in your prototyping tool selection, consider the time and resources you have available to you – the higher the fidelity, the higher the investment. Also consider your audience: a sketch on the back of a napkin might be completely acceptable to test an idea with your colleagues, but a senior decision-maker or investor might find a translation of that sketch by a graphic designer to be more professional and appropriate.
There are many different approaches you can use for prototyping. Here, we describe a number of them, but there are many more you can use.
Examples and Resources
An experience prototype is a simulation that enables a lab team, users and stakeholders to actively engage with the prototype, in order to learn how it is experienced (in terms of “look and feel”). Through this experience, we can understand more about how something is integrated into someone’s life, and the role and functionality it may play in that individual’s life. It also enables an understanding of the contextual factors that may affect that person’s experience, such as environmental conditions, social circumstances, time pressure, etc.
Experience Prototype Tool:
Additional Tools
Get Visual (Design Kit): http://www.designkit.org/methods/53
Looks Like/ Works Like: https://dschool-old.stanford.edu/groups/k12/wiki/e7aa3/Looks_likeWorks_like.htmlRole
Role Play (Design Kit): http://www.designkit.org/methods/36
Card Sorting: http://boxesandarrows.com/card-sorting-a-definitive-guide/
Collage (Design Kit): http://www.designkit.org/methods/25
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