Design Thinking
Key question
How do we bring an idea to life?
A prototype makes an idea tangible so that people can respond to it. It does not need to be pretty or finished, but rather answer a question.
Learning objective: You are able to choose the appropriate prototype form for a question and build it in a short space of time.
A prototype answers a question.
7.1 / Why Prototypes
Building to learn.
Prototypes are learning tools. They show early and cheaply whether an idea is understood, whether it works, and whether people want it. The later an error is discovered, the more expensive it becomes.
Every prototype begins with the question: What do we want to find out with this? This determines how much needs to be built and, above all, what can be left out.
Build as little as possible, as much as necessary.
7.2 / Fidelity and Forms
Form follows the question.
Fidelity describes how close a prototype is to the finished product. Low fidelity is sufficient early on in the process:
Lo-Fi
Paper prototype
Screens or objects made of paper and cardboard, built in minutes.
Lo-Fi
Storyboard
A picture story shows how a person experiences the solution.
Lo-Fi
Role-playing game
A service is simulated, such as an advisory consultation.
MID-FI
The Wizard of Oz
A human secretly simulates the technology, such as the responses of a chatbot.
Higher fidelity, such as a clickable prototype, is only worthwhile when details like wording or workflows need to be tested.
The earlier, the easier.
7.3 / Storyboard
A story in six pictures.
A storyboard tells the story of how a person experiences the solution: from the initial situation and the problem through to the outcome. It is particularly well suited to services and processes that are not tied to a screen.
Stick figures are enough. The important thing is that each picture shows a moment and the story is understandable without explanation.
Stick figures will do.
Exercise
Build in 30 minutes
Task: Build a first prototype of your concept from Module 06.
STEP 1
Defines the question that the prototype should answer.
STEP 2
Choose the format: paper, storyboard, role play, or Wizard of Oz.
STEP 3
Build in 30 minutes using paper, cardboard, pens, and sticky tape.
STEP 4
Play through the prototype once as a team and improve the obvious things.
Evaluation: What decisions did you have to make while building that you hadn't thought about beforehand?