Developing a new product involves many steps that may confuse you if you are new to this field. So, Instead of rushing into the project, it’s important to remember that good preparation leads to success. Planning and testing your ideas before you start is the best way to make sure your brand releases the right user-friendly products. This is where the design thinking prototype comes in. Prototyping helps you to turn ideas into a physical form and see how they might work in the real world before fully developing them.
Now, let’s take a closer look at what a design thinking prototype is, how it works, and why it’s important.
Design Thinking Prototype – Key Takeaways
- Understanding what a design thinking prototype is and why we need it.
- Getting insights into different types of prototype in design thinking.
- Learning about the three phases of prototype in design making.
What Is A Prototype?
Prototyping is a key step in the Design Thinking process and is often done during the final testing phase. Every product is made to solve problems for its target audience. To see if a product actually solves these problems, designers create a nearly complete version of a product, known as a prototype, and test it with multiple testing tools and real users to spot bugs and gather feedback. This step helps designers to check if their ideas work well and see how users feel about the product. It also allows for exploring multiple design concepts before spending too many resources.
Design Thinking Prototype Example
Still confused what prototype is? Don’t worry, here is a simple design thinking prototype example that will help you to understand the concept of prototype in a better way.
Suppose, you’re developing a mobile app that helps users in ordering coffee from their favourite cafe. So, before building and launching the complete app, you will first create a prototype version to test how it works. The basic step-by-step process you will follow is written below for your better understanding.
1. Basic Features:
In the very first step, you will analyze your competitors and discuss the features that your application must have to become a standout choice in the market. Some of the common pages that your app should have include-Â Â
- Menu Page: The menu page is important as users can see different coffee options and their price here.
- Checkout Page: This is an essential page where user can select their coffee and pay through the app.
- Order Status And Tracking Page: This page helps users to track, when their coffee will be ready.
2. Creating the Prototype:
Now, in this stage you will create a basic version of the app using simple sketches or design tool. This version will show how users will move from the menu to placing an order and then tracking it. You will use tools like- Adobe XD, Invision, Proto.io etc to add clickable buttons so users can pretend to order coffee, even though it’s not real yet.
3. Testing:
After creating a prototype, you will ask a few real people to use the prototype and tell you if anything is confusing or doesn’t work well. Based on their feedback, you will then improve the design and fix bugs.
4. Finalizing:
Once the prototype works smoothly and users start to give positive feedback, it is time when you can start building the real app. This design thinking prototype process helps you to catch issues early without wasting much time and ensures the final product is user-friendly.
Why We Need Prototype
One of the key strengths of prototyping is that it helps you to understand and connect with your future customers. Whether you’re designing a software or a physical product, the process is almost similar. If you don’t consider the customer’s needs, you might end up with a product that has unnecessary features, poor design, and various other issues. Here are some of the benefits that a design thinking prototype offers:
- Check Feasibility: Prototyping allows you to implement your idea practically and see if it’s technically possible. It helps you to identify unexpected challenges before the actual product creation process, whether they are physical, technical, or financial.
- Improve Website Quality: A well-crafted prototype helps you to test how easy a site is to use, check how users navigate it, and ensure that important information is easy to find. It also helps in placing visual elements where they’ll have the most impact.
- Present Ideas Effectively: Prototyping allows you to show your future product to potential customers before it’s even launched. This can help you to plan your marketing strategy and even start selling before the product is fully developed.
- Reduce Risks: Projects that include prototyping are generally less risky. Prototyping helps you to estimate the time, resources, and budget needed for development, making it easier to avoid costly mistakes.
- Refine at Lower Costs: Feedback from potential customers during prototyping helps you to improve the product before it’s finalized. Creating multiple prototypes can prevent the extra costs of unsold products and rework.
- Simulate the Final Product: Prototyping gives you a preview of the final product, allowing you to spot design errors and correct them before production begins. It can also attract early investments from customers.
Types Of Prototype In Design Thinking
Different types of prototyping techniques can help you to visualize and refine your designs depending on the stage of development. In this section, we’ll explore some common types of prototyping that you can use to bring your ideas to life.
1. Sketches and Diagrams
Sketching also known as low-fidelity wireframing is one of the simplest ways to start prototyping. It doesn’t require the knowledge of any design tool, just a pencil and paper are enough. By drawing rough sketches, you can quickly share ideas with your team and begin to shape your product. Sketches are great for brainstorming and setting the foundation for more detailed designs.
2. Paper Interface Â
When designing digital products like websites or apps, paper interfaces can be useful in the early stages. You can create rough drafts of screens or interfaces on paper, including elements like buttons or menus. These paper prototypes allow you to experiment with different layouts and gather feedback before moving on to digital versions.
3. Storyboards Â
Storyboarding is a method where you can create a series of images or sketches to show how a user would interact with your product. It helps you to understand the user’s journey and allow you to think about their needs and challenges.Â
4. Role-Playing Â
Role-playing involves acting out how a user might interact with your product in real life. By considering the user experience, you can gain a deeper understanding of their needs and emotions. This method helps you to design products that are more user-friendly and aligned with real-world scenarios.
5. Physical Models
If you’re designing a physical product, you can create models using materials like paper, cardboard, or clay. These models help you to see and feel the product in three dimensions, making it easier to test and refine the design. Physical prototypes are crucial for understanding the form and function of your product.
6. Wizard of Oz Prototypes Â
In a Wizard of Oz prototype, some functions of the product are faked to test user reactions. For example, Suppose you create a digital system where the user thinks they’re interacting with a computer, but a person is controlling the responses. This technique saves time and resources while still gathering valuable feedback.
7. User-Driven Prototypes Â
User-driven prototypes let users to create part of the design themselves. This method helps you to understand their preferences and needs better. While you might not use the user-generated designs directly, they can inspire improvements and adjustments to your product.
With these different prototyping methods, you can choose the one that best fits your project and stage of development. Remember to focus on interactions as you design prototypes and always keep the process efficient and consistent to become a better designer.
Three Phases Of Prototype In Design Thinking
There are basically three phases of prototype in design thinking. Each phase has its own advantages, disadvantages, and uses. Let us explore each of the three phases of prototype development in detail.
1. Low-Fidelity Prototypes
Low-fidelity prototypes are basic and simple models created quickly and cheaply. Designers in this stage don’t focus on details and perfection of the product. Instead of this, they use materials like paper, cardboard, or clay to build these structures.
These prototypes are the most basic type and are mainly made to help designers explore ideas early in the design process. Because they are easy and cheap to make, designers can quickly test and change their ideas without spending a lot of money or time. Low-fidelity prototypes can be anything from simple sketches to paper models, storyboards, or wireframes.
2. Medium Fidelity Prototypes
Medium fidelity prototypes are more detailed than low fidelity prototypes but less than high fidelity ones. They offer a good mix of realistic and simplicity in the design process. These prototypes provide a clearer picture of how the final product might look and work, without getting too detailed about colors and major specifications. Because they are less costly and quicker to produce than high fidelity prototypes, they are often used in the middle stages of design when changes are still being made.
3. High Fidelity Prototypes
High fidelity prototypes are detailed and realistic models of a product that closely resemble the final version. They include all the visual, functional, and technical features, making them the most advanced type of prototype. These prototypes are often created using specialized software and design tools.
High fidelity prototypes are used to test and validate the design in a way that feels very real and plays an important role in gathering holistic user experience feedback.
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Design Thinking Prototype FAQs
Why is prototyping important in design thinking?
Prototyping is crucial because it allows designers to test and validate ideas early, making it easier to identify problems and make improvements based on real user feedback.
What are the different types of prototypes?
Prototypes can vary from low-fidelity, like sketches and paper models, to high-fidelity, like interactive digital designs and 3D printed models.
How do I choose the right type of prototype?
Choose the type based on your stage in the design process and what you need to test. Low-fidelity prototypes are good for early ideas, while high-fidelity prototypes are better for detailed testing.
