From idea to reality
Imagine you’ve got a fantastic idea — but it only exists in your head. How do you bring it to life? The prototyping phase is your toolbox for turning ideas into something tangible. Here, it’s all about building quick and low-cost models of your ideas so you can test and improve them.
Prototyping isn’t about building the perfect product right away. It’s about experimenting, learning, and iterating. By building prototypes, you can gather feedback quickly and adjust your ideas before investing serious time and resources in a final solution.
What is a prototype?
A prototype is an early model of your final product. It helps you test the impact of your ideas before you commit to full development.
It’s a way of working that saves you money, reduces the risk of mistakes, and makes it easier to change direction along the way.
Prototyping in practice – step-by-step
Before diving into specific techniques, here’s an overview of the prototyping phase. No matter your approach, you’ll typically go through these steps:
- Start simple: Begin with a basic prototype. Use materials you have on hand and focus on communicating the core idea.
- Test and get feedback: Show your prototype to users or other stakeholders. Collect their reactions and feedback.
- Iterate and improve: Use the feedback to improve your prototype. Build a new version and repeat the process.
Techniques for the prototyping phase
Paper Prototypes
Paper prototypes are a fast and inexpensive way to visualize ideas. Use paper and pen to sketch concepts. This is especially useful for digital products like apps or websites, where you can draw different screens and interactions.
- Example: Sketch a mobile app with various screens and features. Let users "click" on paper screens to test the experience.
Low-Fidelity Prototypes
Low-fidelity prototypes are simple, rough models of your product. They aren’t detailed or polished, but they provide a clear sense of design and functionality. Use materials like cardboard, foam, or LEGO to build them.
- Example: Build a model of a new office chair using cardboard and tape to test comfort and usability.
Digital Prototyping
Use tools like Sketch, Figma, or Adobe XD to create interactive digital prototypes. These allow users to click through screens and try out features on their own devices.
- Example: Create a clickable prototype of a website where users can navigate pages and test features.
Role Playing
Have your team or users act out a scenario where they use your product or service. This reveals how it might work in real life — and where challenges might arise.
- Example: Stage a retail setting where customers and staff interact with a new self-service kiosk.
Storyboards
Storyboards visually tell the story of the user’s journey with your product. Draw a sequence of images showing each step and interaction. This helps you visualize the experience and identify areas for improvement.
- Example: Draw a storyboard showing a customer’s journey from visiting your webshop to receiving their delivery.
Why is the prototyping phase important?
The prototyping phase is like a test drive for your ideas. It allows you to experiment, learn, and iterate quickly. By building and testing prototypes, you can catch problems early and avoid costly mistakes later in the process. It also gives you valuable user feedback to ensure your solutions really meet their needs.
Practical tips for a successful prototyping phase
- Start simple: Begin with quick, low-cost prototypes. The goal is to get ideas out of your head and test them fast.
- Involve users: Gather user feedback as early and often as possible. Their input is crucial to building something user-friendly.
- Iterate quickly: Don’t be afraid to fail. Each version is a chance to learn and improve.
- Use varied materials: Get creative with what you use — from cardboard and tape to digital tools, anything can help bring ideas to life.
Methods for the prototyping phase: From concept to concrete
Once you have an idea, it’s time to bring it to life through prototyping. Here are specific techniques to help you create and test your models:
Paper Prototypes
A simple and effective way to visualize your ideas. Use pen and paper to sketch out concepts, especially for digital products like apps or websites.
- Example: Sketch a mobile app and let users interact with paper-based screen layouts.
Low-Fidelity Prototypes
Use basic materials to build rough models of your product — focus on functionality and layout, not polish.
- Example: Build a cardboard model of a new chair to test comfort and interaction.
Digital Prototyping
Use tools like Sketch, Figma, or Adobe XD to build interactive digital models.
- Example: Create a clickable prototype of a website where users can navigate and test features.
Role Playing
Let users or team members act out a scenario using your product to uncover insights and spot friction points.
- Example: Simulate a store visit where customers use a new checkout kiosk.
Storyboards
Illustrate the user’s journey with your product using a series of visual frames that show each step and touchpoint.
- Example: Draw a storyboard that follows a customer from browsing your webshop to receiving their order.
What is Design Thinking?
Design Thinking is a user-centered method for solving problems by understanding user needs and creating innovative solutions.
It involves an iterative process with five phases:
- Empathize: Understand user needs through research and observation.
- Define: Formulate a clear problem statement based on your data.
- Ideate: Generate a wide range of creative ideas.
- Prototyping: Build quick and inexpensive models of your ideas.
- Test: Try out your prototypes with users and collect feedback.
Design Thinking encourages creativity, collaboration, and user involvement to create solutions that truly make a difference.
The key takeaway
The prototyping phase in Design Thinking is where your ideas become real. It’s about experimenting, learning, and iterating quickly. By building and testing prototypes, you can gather valuable feedback, catch problems early, and ensure your solutions truly meet user needs. So the next time you have a great idea — take it through the prototyping phase and watch it come to life!