Leap into Prototyping
Ask anyone what prototyping is and you will walk away with a version of the same answer. Prototyping is about having an idea, creating something that represents that idea, and testing it. It seems like an easy thing to wrap your head around. What most people don’t tell you is prototyping is all about failing. You need to be willing to fail in order to learn and succeed. Prototyping is also about letting go of your old ideas and opening your mind to new ones. Think of it like a rollercoaster, if you don’t embrace the experience you will not enjoy the ride. If I only knew these things going into my most recent prototyping experience…
My teacher assigned a project that entailed turning our ideas into something tangible, something we could test. Our first mistake was falling in love with our first idea. We thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. “Who wouldn’t want this thing?” We decided to jump right in and start designing. We had a long white-boarding session in which we talked about different types of construction, which materials we could use, and ways to power our device. Then we hit a dead end. “Which ideas were the best?” Our teacher suggested that we go out and test our idea to see what was relevant.
Our product would be used by hikers in the backcountry so we decided to go for a hike. We didn’t need much time before realizing that our idea was not as good as we thought…actually it was pretty darn stupid. “Who would carry a drone in the backcountry?” We were back to the drawing board. This time we had experience in the environment in which our product would be used. We utilized this knowledge to come up with pain points and then formulate a feasible solution. We did more research on our target audience, which brought us to an even better solution. We were refining our idea before we even put it to life. In the end we came up with a product that has major potential, but I believe what we learned along the way is even more important than the end product itself.
First and foremost, we learned you can’t jump into things. Don’t go into the prototyping process married to your ideas. You need to be willing to let go of your idea to make something truly great. Go into the process listening, observing, and actively looking for things that need to be improved.
Get out in the real world, put yourself in your users shoes and figure out if your idea holds up. Test in the location where your product will most likely be used. You may be thinking “how is a coffee shop different from my office?” Don’t underestimate the power of external factors. Things like volume, weather, and unexpected encounters with strangers can highly influence your product. While you are taking your product for a test run, make sure to be aware of self and user bias.
From pen and paper to 3D printing, prototyping can be done in a variety of ways. You will need to figure out which one is right to test your product. You should have a progression of prototypes, low to high fidelity. It is important to analyze where you are in the process and not to jump ahead of yourself. With each version of a prototype, make sure to test each aspect of the product. Don’t assume that your last prototype test will suffice. New features may alter results from your previous test.
Sometimes good prototyping and brainstorming needs a good, clear head. Get outside, remove yourself from the problem for a day or two, and come back with a fresh start. You may have a revelation.
Understand the greatest products take years to create. These products are built upon the ideas of good old hard work and perseverance. Do you think Henry Ford woke up one day and decided to sit down and create the automobile? It took Ford years to figure out how the first Model T would come to life. The first production was completed in 1908. Some 15 million iterations of the Model T were introduced between the first production and the last, in 1927.
Like I stated earlier, failing is the most important aspect of prototyping. Creativity and progress are necessary elements of prototyping. Fearing failure will stifle creativity and leave you feeling stuck. Don’t be afraid to take risks and create something new. Understand that your next hundred ideas will probably not work, but you should be willing to work through them if you want to succeed. If you fail often, you will be more determined to succeed.
It all boils down to the classic quote by W. E. Hickson, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.”
History.com staff. (2009). Ford Motor Company unveils the Model T. History.com. Retreived from http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ford-motor-company-unveils-the-model-t
Wikipedia. Retrieved October 21, 2016 from Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Edward_Hickson
