Now that you have a bunch of ideas, let's talk about prototyping or how you can bring those ideas to life. In this video, you'll learn about the importance of prototyping as well as a few methods that you can try out on your own. You might be familiar with the term prototype when it comes to technology. But what does it have to do with human-centered design? A prototype is anything that helps you quickly bring an idea to life so that you can share it with people, get feedback, and use that feedback to improve or revise your idea. In a traditional problem-solving approach. Once you have an idea, you rush to build it out so that you can launch it into the world as quickly as possible, which can be very resource intensive and take considerable time, money, and energy. Not to mention, there's a high risk of failure. But with prototyping, we're able to significantly reduce the risk by encouraging the development of simple and quick ways to model or visualize the solution so that we can understand what works and what doesn't. We're not trying to make the perfect representation of our idea. Instead, our goal is to test out assumptions with our idea and uncover mistakes so that we can correct those assumptions before investing more time and resources into making our idea a reality. There are many different methods for prototyping, but we'll focus on these key four, physical prototype, sketching, storyboard, and role-play. A physical prototype is a 3D mock-up of your idea or part of your idea, that you want to learn more about. It can be created with everyday materials, such as paper, Popsicle sticks, glue, string, cardboard, or any other materials you have access to. Your only limitation is your imagination. Sketching is another great way to bring your idea to life. It's a simple and quick way to visualize your design solution, and don't worry, you don't have to be a great drawer to communicate your solution effectively. If you can draw a line, circle and square, you have all the tools you need. A storyboard is a series of sketches or pictures that demonstrate an end-to-end service or experience. Similar to a comic, it's a way to demonstrate the interactions a person may go through while either using or experiencing your solution. Role-play is another great method for communicating your idea and working through a design. It's especially effective for testing a service experience or process. An added bonus is you require very limited tools or supplies, making this a very affordable and accessible option. You'll notice that all of these prototypes can be very rough and simple. Build just enough to get your core idea across and to get useful feedback from the person you're testing it with. As you learn and refine your idea, your prototype can gradually become more refined to closely mimic what the final concept might be. Soon you'll be tasked with developing your own prototype based on the last ideation exercise. But before you do, we wanted to share some prototyping tips and considerations. Tip number 1, prototypes aren't precious. Roughened sketchy prototypes are often better for getting feedback. It's easier for users and stakeholders to give candid feedback if the prototype doesn't look too polished. Tip number 2, prototype only what you need. Remember, prototypes should be rapid. Don't build out, or don't get stuck in every detail, and tip number 3, prototype early and often, failure is okay. Don't try to avoid mistakes. Instead, chip away at problems incrementally and iteratively. We find it much more effective to build something to help you think, rather than staying in your own head and theorizing what might be, and ask for considerations. Ask yourself the following questions about your prototype. Who benefits the most from this prototype? Who benefits the least from or is potentially harmed by this prototype? What assumptions were made in the creation of this prototype? Remember, the point of a prototype is to mock something up so that we can learn from it. If you're ever in doubt or feeling stuck, try building a prototype. Check out the prototyping assignment for instructions.
