Forasmuch as the ‘prototype’ is one of the stages of the ‘design thinking method,’ to study the prototype, we first need to know what design thinking is?
Design thinking is both an ideology and a process used to solve complex problems user-centric. It places the user front and center, focusing heavily on empathy.
Thinking like a designer can transform the way organizations develop products, services, processes, and strategies. This approach, which is known as design thinking, brings together what is desirable from a human point of view with what is technologically feasible and economically viable. It also allows people who aren’t trained as designers to use creative tools to address a vast range of challenges. —IDEO team.
“Design thinking is a human-centered approach to innovation that draws from the designer’s toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success.” —TIM BROWN, EXECUTIVE CHAIR OF IDEO
The design thinking process can be divided into five phases: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test.
As mentioned, prototyping is the fourth stage of the design thinking process—your prototype results from everything you have done so far. Interview your users, define your problem statement, and develop potential solutions. But what is a prototype?
What is a prototype?
Put simply; a prototype is a scaled-down version of your product, a simulation or sample version which enables you to test your ideas and designs. ‘before investing time and money into actually developing the product.’
So if you are designing a product, you may want to prototype it and test it with real users before spending time and money on the actual product.
Therefore, you can use scores of prototypes in different stages of your project without any restrictions.
Why use prototypes?
Prototyping is one of the essential steps in the design thinking process. You are supposed to put the user at the heart of the process, so you need to test your designs with real users—prototypes will get you there without spending time and money.
Prototypes can help you to:
· The initial version of the product shows you whether it works in the real world or not. How does it work? And finally, it gives first-hand insights into how users interact with your product.
· If you are going to fail, prototypes will help you fail faster and cheaper. So before it’s too late, identify and fix any usability issues or design flaws with prototype testing.
· If you are stuck between two designs and do not know which one to choose, the prototype will help you determine which one works best.
kinds of prototypes
Depending on what stage of your project you are at, your prototypes can come in various shapes and sizes. Your prototype can be a simple sketch on a piece of paper or a fully functional and interactive prototype. It’s up to you to wisely choose what kind of prototype at that stage can get you the data you need.
Prototypes can vary in terms of their function, fidelity, interactivity, and lifecycle:
Function: Is this just the form of the product That shows the product’s appearance, or does it include product functions too?
Fidelity: How detailed is the prototype? You’ll often hear the terms high-fidelity and low-fidelity about prototypes.
Interactivity: Does your prototype work? Can the user interact with it and see its actual function, or is it just for a viewing?
Lifecycle: Is your prototype worth a quick, disposable version, which will be replaced with an improved sample after testing? Or is it a quality product modified over time and becomes the final product?
Now it’s time to know how to create a prototype.
Now we know exactly what prototyping is, why it’s so valuable, and what kinds of prototypes we might use throughout the design process. There’s only one thing left to do: create your prototype!
These some pointers will help you along the way:
According to your project, choose the right kind of prototype.
What stage you’re at in the design process?
Time and resources available.
These factors will help you decide which kind of prototype is best for you.
Depending on your stage, you decide whether to have high-fidelity or low-fidelity prototypes. Low-fidelity prototypes use in the early stages. But you’ll need hi-fi prototypes as you get closer to shipping your product.
Define your goals carefully.
Have a clear idea of what you want your prototype to achieve. What do you actually want to get from the prototype test? Do not forget to focus on the needs of the user and keep the persona’s pain points in mind at all times!
Use the right tools
If you are new to prototyping, try gaining experience in it. Learn to work with different tools. When the time comes, this will save you!
Do!
In design thinking, you are constantly generating ideas and testing them, so prototype whenever you need to. Remember, design thinking is not a linear process, so you are allowed to build and test the prototype at any time.
And then what?
Prototyping is completed by experiment, so make it available to genuine users once you’ve created a prototype. Observe users’ interactions with the current product and ask for feedback on how they feel about the experience. Do not judge your decisions. Instead, try to learn from the user. Do not come out of the test session like a loser! Be happy that you can make informed design decisions. Do not forget, that ‘Iteration’ will lead you to a user-friendly product.
By: Parisa Ahmadi