Rapid Prototyping

nothing is more revealing if the idea will work or not than to create a rapid prototype

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What is Rapid Prototyping?

When it comes to designing new solutions, nothing is more revealing on if the idea will work or not than to create a rapid prototype. Rapid prototyping is the process followed by designers to create a physical mock-up of the desired future state. It is through the iterative process of prototyping that the team is able to quickly learn what works and what doesn’t work, spotting ways to improve on their ideas early in the Design process.

Prototyping challenges the team to make their ideas tangible by starting with basic concepts and adding details as they test their ideas and collect feedback from other members of the Design team and the customer as to what works and what doesn’t work. Some common steps that the team will follow include:

  1. Identify the most important moments in the customer’s journey.
  2. Highlight the key pivot points in the journey in which you want to direct the customer’s behaviors and next steps.
  3. Determine what proposed solutions need to be tested to ensure that intended outcomes and actual outcomes match.
  4. Create prototypes, starting with basic sketches and iterate on the idea adding additional details through subsequent iterations.
  5. Collect feedback and adapt the prototypes accordingly (using PDCA).
Determining what to rapid prototype
Rapid Prototype-Worksheet

Download the Free "Rapid prototyping" Template (PDF)

Purchase the template to customize for your own organization

All of our tools and templates are available in Word or PowerPoint format to allow organizations to purchase and customize the templates to their brand standards.

Nothing is more important than finding out if an idea will work or not through Rapid Prototyping in the early stages of the design process, saving the organization time and money. This topic is a core concept of applying creative problem-solving through design thinking. To learn more about design, please visit our Introduction to Design Thinking Course.

The Design Thinking course teaches a creative problem-solving that will give any professional an advantage in their industry or career.

 

  • Designers or Product Development professionals that are motivated to bring innovative new products and services to their business and customers.
  • Consultants who want to offer their clients a model for applying creative problem-solving to help address business challenges.
  • Human Resource professionals seeking to develop more human-centered solutions to support workforce members while driving higher levels of employee engagement.
  • Members of Leadership who are wishing to gain competitive advantage by differentiating their business’s products and services.
  • Individuals or Teams that are searching for new ways to solve complex problems by placing the customer’s needs at the center of their solutions.
Design Thinking Training, continuous improvement certifications

This course will help expose the learner to various design thinking tools and mental models – all with the emphasis on innovating through creative problem-solving.

 

Our objective is to provide the learner with practical tools for applying a versatile 3-step design thinking process within their organizations. Through this framework, the learner will be able to reframe problems from the customer’s perspective. With this perspective in mind, the learner will drive improvements around the customer experience using tools such as deep-dive interview, journey mapping, empathy mapping, and rapid prototyping.

Need help introducing use of a Rapid Prototyping at your organization?

Schedule a 30 minute coach call today and let’s talk through the details. 

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