Prototyping FAQ
The Value of Experimenting with Prototypes
Products aren’t birthed fully formed. They’re developed in stages. In the early phases, it’s best to create quick, easy, cheap models of your product. That’s because you want to generate input and see what people react to so you can direct your efforts toward the most significant aspects of your product. If you spend lots of time, money or effort polishing or perfecting features before you know if people care about those features, you’ll regret the waste.
If you rely solely on asking people questions, you’ll discover that people’s assumptions and answers aren’t necessarily a close match with their behavior. People say they love water but buy lots of Coke. They say they like historical documentaries but watch more reality TV. And so on. By watching people react to early drawings, models and prototypes, you’ll start to learn about the intersection between what you’re building and what people need, want and use. You’ll open a window into how people actually engage with an early version of your product. And you’ll have a clearer view of your challenges and opportunities by seeing through the eyes of stakeholders.
Answers to Questions You Might Be Asking
Q. What if my early users hate what I show them?
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Better to know now than after you’ve spent lots of time, money and effort. What they appear to dislike might be a matter of framing or focus. For example, a fathering prototype that highlights diaper changing might provoke negative reactions simply because of that superficial characteristic. The reaction may simply be a response to the context, not to the underlying value proposition. On the other hand, early negative reactions can spare you the pain of finding out only later that you’re frustrating or offending people or otherwise missing out on a core issue or opportunity. Think of reactions as data and signals to learn from, and be grateful that you’re getting candid feedback early enough to act on it.
Q. What if I get conflicting feedback?
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Rarely is there full consensus on anything new. Listen for feelings, facts, evidence and data when considering conflicting feedback. In the early phase of getting initial impressions, separate out reactions to superficial issues like fonts from deeper concerns about the overall problem being addressed. Try to identify patterns, things that you hear repeatedly, because frequency can help with validation.
Q. What if they just don’t get it?
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If users or potential partners don’t get it, you need to make it more clear. What is obvious to you, as someone who has pored over your project, won’t necessarily be clear to others new to it. Assume that you’ll need to be crystal clear especially in your communication about what you’re doing, why, how and for whom. Practice boiling down your message into simple, jargon-free language. Try explaining it to your aunt, uncle or parent/grandparent. Use images, diagrams, or other visuals whenever possible to help add clarity.
Q. How do I get users to tell me what they really think?
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Give users ways to respond easily and quickly —even anonymously where possible— to whatever you show them. Tell them you’re open to any input and that you value feedback of any kind because it’s crucial to your development process. Demonstrate that you mean it by mentioning how important constructive input has been so far and most importantly by responding openly and positively to any comments they offer. Whatever you do, don’t argue with users or try to persuade them of your viewpoint. Instead, keep your mouth closed, listen and nod to indicate you’re hearing them. Then summarize what you’ve heard back to them to see if you understood what they were trying to convey. When it comes time to test people’s use of a digital product, you can use screen recording tools to record their behaviors and reactions for later study.
Q. What if my product requires the development of complex tech?
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However complicated your ultimate vision is, you should start with a simple instance of it to test your core assumptions and expectations. In the early phases of developing your venture, you’re aim is to validate the basic value proposition and to clarify the problem you’re solving as efficiently as possible before investing lots of time, effort and money. And by collecting valuable input on early ideas and light prototypes, you can focus your attention on the product characteristics that matter most.