A prototype is a draft version of a product, service or space. It allows you to explore your ideas and show the intention behind a feature of your concept or the overall concept. A prototype can be quick and rough (low fidelity) or detailed in their shape and functions (high fidelity). A prototype can be anything from a drawing to a highly functional model of your concept.

The d.school defines the prototyping process as “getting ideas and explorations out of your head and into the physical world. A prototype can be anything that takes a physical form – be it a wall of post-it notes, a role-playing activity, a space, an object, an interface, or even a storyboard.”

Prototyping allows you to try out your ideas without the pressure of getting everything right straight away!

Prototyping at different stages of your creative process will allow you to:

Explore problems, ideas, and opportunities within a specific area of focus and test out the impact of small or radical changes in your concept.

Better understand what makes your concept work or fail.

Engage with end users or stakeholders in order to test your concept in ways that reveal deeper insight and more valuable experiences.

Explain new ideas, motivate or inspire your stakeholders and investors towards new ways of thinking and doing. (Dam & Siang, 2019)

• Storyboard
• MockUp
• 3D printing
• Scales
• Blueprint
• Prototypage d'usage

Rikke Dam & Teo Siang (2019) Design Thinking: Get Started with Prototyping https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/design-thinking-get-started-with-prototyping

d.school Bootcamp Bootlet https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57c6b79629687fde090a0fdd/t/58890239db29d6cc6c3338f7/1485374014340/METHODCARDS-v3-slim.pdf

Design Council. Design Methods. https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/news-opinion/design-methods-step-3-develop