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IdeationIntermedio

Rapid Prototyping

The practice of building quick, cheap, tangible representations of ideas to test assumptions and generate feedback before investing in development. Rapid prototyping embraces imperfection deliberately — the goal is to fail fast and learn, not to produce something impressive. A prototype that takes 30 minutes and breaks reveals the same insight as one that took 3 weeks.

Durata
30m–2h
Dimensione del gruppo
2–12 people
Materiali
Paper, scissors, tape, markers, Post-it notes, Cardboard…

Come eseguirlo

  1. 1

    Define what assumption you're testing before you start. A prototype without a learning goal is just a model.

  2. 2

    Choose the lowest-fidelity format that can test your assumption: paper sketch, cardboard model, role-play script, clickable mock-up.

  3. 3

    Build it. Timebox strictly (20-45 min). Ugly is fine — it's not the point.

  4. 4

    Test with a real user or stakeholder. Show, don't explain. Watch what they do, not just what they say.

  5. 5

    Capture observations: what confused them? What worked? What surprised you?

  6. 6

    Decide: iterate (tweak the prototype and test again), pivot (fundamentally change the idea), or proceed (build it).

Suggerimenti

  • The fidelity of your prototype should match your confidence level. Low confidence = paper. High confidence = high-fidelity.

  • Don't explain the prototype during testing. If they don't understand it, that's data.

  • Multiple rough prototypes beat one polished one — test more ideas, faster.

  • Use role-play to prototype services and conversations, not just products.

Variazioni

Wizard of Oz prototype: simulate functionality manually behind the scenes while users interact with a front-end. Powerful for testing AI/automated features.Storyboard prototype: draw a comic-strip sequence showing how a user would experience the solution.

Casi d'uso

Design thinkingProduct developmentInnovation workshopsUser testing

Metodi correlati

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Method descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from Workshop Weaver.

Rapid Prototyping — Facilitation Method | Workshop Weaver