Prototypes & Critique
Welcome to the next lesson of UX and design thinking, link to the previous article. This article would mainly talk about how to make prototypes and critique your design based on the customer approach.
A prototype is a rough depiction or form of a product created by a development team or front-end design team throughout the design phase. A prototype aims to check the functionality of a proposed design and receive input both from internal and external stakeholders before building the final product. A prototype is in a state of flux as the team reassesses the design repeatedly depending on user input.
Prototyping is essential to the design process for two reasons:
- Visualization — Product designers use prototypes to demonstrate to stakeholders how the finished version will appear and operate.
- Input — Prototypes elicit feedback from members of the team as well as user test groups. Potential buyers may engage with an adjacent product and point out aspects that aren’t user-friendly. The design team may then iterate on the design even before the team launches the finished product, saving the firm time and money.
Step-by-step of Making Prototype
1. Identify the problem
To make a prototype, you will need to start thinking from your customer’s problem. For instance, try to fill in the blank to help you get a head start:
_______________________________(users)___________________________ need_a_way_to_______________________________(user_need)____________________________________because___________________________________(insight)___________________________
2. Ideate: Generating Possible Solution
The next step is you are going to take that problem and work through some solutions. But, how exactly are you going to do it? You need to go through the process of ideation by asking several questions. Here are some to help you stay in the line
What was the problem you identified?
- What was the overarching need you identified?
- Was there a problem everyone you interviewed experienced?
- What was the problem you defined/identified?
- What are some ways you can meet this need?
These questions are supposed to help you generate ideas of what you can do to address the problem.
- Spend 5 minutes sketching 6 ideas that would address the need you identified.
- Don’t judge them yet — we’re going for quantity.
One of the core principles of design thinking is to explore broadly without constraint, before narrowing in on a choice. This approach means you will wind up with a wider variety of solutions that aren’t as bound by constraints. Since it is currently hard to innovate when someone is constantly harping on perceived limitations.
3. Go through The Selection Process
- Discuss your ideas — Share your favorite ideas with your partner or team members. You may even find that some of your ideas go well together and could be combined.
- Work together — Choose which idea best solves the problem you identified. It might be a combination of ideas. This is the one you will continue working on for the rest of the prototyping process. You may want to sketch out what this new idea might look like on fresh paper.
- Expand Your Concept — Sketch out the steps of what it looks like for someone to use it. Show what it looks like as it’s being used. Whatever visuals you make should support your story of how it would be used and how it solves the problems you heard about.
4. Revise
In the fourth step, you need to research the constraints of your prototype. What can stop it from working properly? By defining the constraints you would then enter the step of revising your own idea with your partner or team members.
In conclusion, the main purpose of making a prototype is to actually pitch your own design. After you are going through all the steps, you need to make sure that you make lightning pitches to your own design. Explain further:
- the problem you identified
- the solution you choose to pursue
- walk through the solution and how it is used
- explain your solution accommodates the constraints
Remember that every design needs to put user experience in the first priority.
