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TOOL PAPER PROTOTYPE

Four ways to make your idea come alive with paper prototyping

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CHECKLIST

 You built something you can interact with and show to others.

 People respond to your prototype and give you new insights.

NEXT STEP

 Gather feedback from others on the prototype.

 Use the prototype in an experiment.

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PROTOTYPING HACKS

BUILD IT TOGETHER

Building a prototype together works like visually thinking out loud: more iterations, people get involved, and you create ambassadors for the idea and prototype.

Everybody will build off each other. A quick caution: groups shouldn’t be bigger than five people. That is the (proven) maximum to keep the dynamics going and to keep everybody active.

CREATE WITH CUSTOMERS

If you want to go for the unexpected and out of the realm of security, let your customers tackle the problem you want to solve for you!

Make sure you agree on the design criteria and scope. One thing is certain: they will never look at the issue at hand from your company’s perspective. An outside-in approach will certainly help you pinpoint your blind spots.

COMPETITOR HACK

Use the product (and the packaging) of a competitor, and rebrand it with your product name and other particulars.

This approach saves you the time mocking up your own future product.

This works perfectly if you want to prototype, e.g., branding, color, dimensions, weight, and want to learn what people think of existing products.

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PLAY IT OUT

Have people draw their ideas rather than write them down. You can have them either draw their own ideas or make drawings of other people’s ideas. It’s fun, and forces them to be concrete rather than abstract.

An alternative is to use Lego Serious Play, when people are nervous about their drawing skills.

USE YOUR FAVORITE OFFICE TOOL

In the book Sprint, by Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky, and Braden Kowitz, from Google Ventures, the design team mocked up an interface for a robot using only Keynote, the popular presentation software.

Not only did the prototype look real enough to get reactions from customers, it took them only a few hours and cost them nothing, as they already owned the software.

VISUAL DRINKING

Where do most interesting and open brainstorms take place? In coffee shops and bars! Outside the corporate setting, people tend to get less inhibited by rules, agendas, second-guessing.

The ideal place to introduce visual drinking is outside of work. Make sure you always carry a marker. Use coasters, napkins, table tops, menu cards to brainstorm visually. Your next best idea may be on one of those coasters!!