How we use Design Thinking as a framework and guiding principle | Part V: Prototyping
Pictures say more than a thousand words. And a prototype says more than a thousand pictures.
Hello again! In my last article, we proceeded to phase 4. Ideation in the Design Thinking process. We left the Zone of Problems (1. Understand, 2. Observe, and 3. Point of View) and entered the Zone of Solutions, brainstorming in the ideation phase to find solutions for solving our Persona's — Paula Giegler — problems and needs regarding energy supply from her utility provider.
Now it's time to develop a prototype out of our ideas!
What is a prototype?
In the first place, a prototype is something visual and tangible.
- You can produce digital or analog prototypes using wireframes or mock-ups of applications.
- You can build prototypes from paper, modeling clay, or Lego.
- You can develop a customer journey to explain how to use a service.
- You could perform a role play to step into other people's shoes.
Why do we need a prototype?
A prototype helps you to
- present your ideas to clients or decision-makers in the company.
- test your ideas with your clients/users.
- gain instant feedback while watching people testing your prototype.
- to save time and money and to reduce risks.
- (Prototyping also helps you tell your story — I will return to this in another article.)
Types of Prototypes
I always consider the very first prototype as Baby Prototype, something simple but already functional, like our mock-up for a One-Stop-Shop in the pictures above and below.
B. Functional Prototyp: Minimal Viable Product
C. Ready-made Prototype: Interact with the user. Only reality offers new insights.
D. Final Prototype
E. Production
From idea to prototype
Let's go back to our Persona, Paula, focussing on her specific needs and the questions Paula's public utility provider (PUC) needs to solve:
- How might we, as a PUC, promote and encourage citizen initiatives?
- How might we, as a PUC, quickly provide consultation to citizens?
- How might we, as a PUC, enhance our customer support when a citizen has an inquiry?
- How might we, as a PUC, deliver services and products efficiently to citizens?
- How might we, as a PUC, promote collaboration between residents to use combined green solutions?
- How might we, as a PUC, become the first point of contact on energy-related topics?
Our One-Stop-Shop Prototype
To help the PUC to serve Paula's needs, we proposed a One-Stop-Shop as a platform for citizens to access different products and services handled by the energy provider. This platform can be used through an app or a website.
It primarily includes tools to promote general awareness and increase social responsibility. This One-Stop-Shop aims to increase consumption transparency and share advice on the best ways to save energy.
Prototyping helps you to make things tangible and testable in a riskless way
It took our team a couple of hours to develop this One-Stop-Shop mock-up, which made a difference when explaining our idea to our clients. This visualization helped them imagine what kind of information to address their customers with and how.
This prototype is also the baseline to determine if the idea is feasible, viable, and, most of all, desired by a Persona like Paula and others. So testing is the next step to gaining feedback!
Thanks for reading! I'm looking forward to introducing you to phase 6 of the Design Thinking process in one of my following blog articles — Test.
So stay curious and subscribe not to miss it!
Andrea Kuhfuss, Co-Founder and CEO of QLab Think Tank GmbH
