Paper prototypes: back to basics and why it does you good.
Getting a strong grip in your end-users insights, and spending time in understanding the various behavioural factors that might make them use or not your product, is the first step to a successful outcome. And because ideally you want this feedback as soon as possible in the design process, why don’t you start considering a simple approach as prototyping your designs on paper?
Intro
About 8 years ago, when I first started working as a User Experience designer, the process from the client’s briefing all the way to the production stage was fairly simple. We’d have a meeting with the client to write down their ideas, decide the approach, present the designs and, later on, we would send the latter to the developers to code it. By saying it was fairly simple, doesn’t mean I think it was the best way to do it and that we’ve been complicating things ever since.
Understanding your users behaviour
Understanding your users is crucial to the success of your product. Studies arise that users quickly get bored when they don’t immediately understand how to use a product.
Getting your product to a satisfactory place takes more than a kick off meeting and a few catch ups — sometimes it takes inumerous sleepless nights, incredible hairdos and having you screaming your guts out.
A few years ago, I came across the importance of prototyping and user testing. What else would be more valuable than presenting your initial ideas to your end-users/customers, and let them have a say in the product they will finally be using? Drop the idea that you alone can guess what those factors are.
Dear users, we truly need you!
Designers — sketch meetings and prototypes
Designers are a powerful tool. They have brains, experience, they have will and they want to impress you. Isn’t that more than enough to build something good?
- All right you might need some utensils, but my point is that if you gather a group of designers in the same room you’ll get something amazing out of that experience.
Pen and paper are more than enough to get your ideas in front of your users and get sweet precious initial feedback — and although sketching is a very important part of the process, prototyping your designs should be considered fundamental once you gathered your ideas.
Prototyping designs for user testing means we can sanity check our ideas with our audience and make improvements from an early stage. However, they are also invaluable for getting the rest of the team onboard with an idea — things like timing and animation can be overlooked and prototypes get everyone thinking about the little details that can have a big impact.
Prototypes can become complex and have quite a few details but, if you find yourself with time restrictions, you can always find your way around.
Paper prototypes: Quick. Easy. Super productive.
Paper prototypes are a rapid solution to get your ideas tested. They are cheap (developers aren’t), there are loads of space for imagination (you can always throw an idea in the shredder and quickly sketch another one) and they give you a clear notion of the user journey.
When is better to use paper prototypes?
Have you ever struggled with having loads of ideas for one single project?
Or not knowing where to start?
Paper prototypes are really good to organize your ideas while you sketch and to get the team up to speed with the project.
Can I take a project all the way to the end using paper prototypes?
I’m glad you asked.
Of course you can, if your results are satisfactory why not?
Although these are low-fidelity prototypes, using paper to test your ideas will give you the ability to do it more often and rapidly reach a final solution. And if you don’t have any development skills you’ll be able to do it on your own not depending on anyone.
Do I need to learn how to code?
The answer is no.
Actually, finding different ways to prototype reduces technology roadblocks and improves creativity.
You can create simple paper prototypes or, in case you feel a little more technological, you have loads of software that can help you test your ideas just by screen grabbing your sketches — isn’t that marvellous?!
A couple of months ago, I was working on a fairly large project — that featured on various types of news media — with a fair amount of pressure and tight delivery schedules.
The team had a conversation to decide on how to better approach the challenge ahead, and to discuss on how to take the project forward as efficiently and effective as possible.
We then gathered to brainstorm and to start sketching. At this point we were looking after quantity rather than quality, and we came up with as many ideas as possible.
Once that first step was taken, we got together with the stakeholders — including developers and editorial colleagues — and ended up shortlisting two ideas to be further detailed and to which prototypes would be developed. As time was short, we’ve decided to use paper prototypes.
Working in a newsroom environment makes you even more creative — coping with the pressure of a few days delivery, developers allocated to several projects and your editorial team needing ten things at a time, finding ways to succeed isn’t always easy.
Our turnaround: we designed basic wireframes using a software, printed all the assets, used scissors to cut all the elements (including paper devices) and assembled everything: we were ready to go!
The importance of user testing
“Designers are not users.”
Jakob Nielsen, Usability Engineering
I struggle to believe every time I come across some top digital agencies that just don’t have time to user testing their products. I sure believe that there are great gods of usability in the world but is that really enough? Do we really know all our users that well?
Guerilla testing
You don’t need a great investment to do some user testing. You can do it paying for a few cups of coffee to friendly looking strangers. With a guerilla user testing approach all you need is your prototype, a few tasks (tasks being whatever you want to find out about your designs from the user perspective) and pen and paper to take some notes.
User testing your ideas, especially at an early stage is truly important. And believe me, I don’t use the word truly that often!
Your users will help you make a decision on the course of your project.
Change of course
“A change of speed, a change of style.
A change of scene, with no regrets”
Ian Curtis, Joy Division
Yes. I. Used. To. Struggle. To. Change. My. Mind.
But, if you are brave enough to hear what your users have to say about your ideas, changing the course will only benefit your final solution.
Bare in mind that some of our users aren’t as used to the web as we designers and developers are. Their feedback, although sometimes might seem frustrating to you, can be a powerful tool to take you to the next level.
