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Prototyping is a process where ideas are transformed into a tangible digital solution. Prototypes can be created in varying degrees of fidelity in as little as two weeks in order to turn basic ideas into design concepts to communicate, test and validate ideas with real users in a short space of time.

Here’s how it works…

Designing a product for users can be unpredictable. The idea for a product may be based on assumptions that there is a need for a new product or you have simply had a lightbulb moment to fix a problem.

The prototype process allows you to validate product assumptions by talking to 'real' users, whilst also gaining early stage feedback from all stakeholders. You can test varying features to see which are more suitable and encourage collaboration between all involved to guarantee the best product has been designed and tested by the end of the process.

Testing with users is a main aim of developing a prototype but it can also help all those involved to understand the product better by being able to see something more developed and refined than a sketch on a paper.

Ideation and production

The prototyping process starts following the ideation stage where initial sketches of ideas are created to solve a users’ needs. These sketches are transformed into a prototype using a design tool. Here, user flows are thought out from sign up and login, through to the main pieces of functionality in the app, such as tracking a symptom or inputting data, to reading content.

As this is just a prototype the main focus is on features and functionality, along with user experience (UX) and the user interface (UI). How things may work in practice is also considered but this is not the priority at this stage. The designed screens are then linked together to form the prototype. Whilst this is not the end product, it acts as the proposed product to see if there is a real user need, and whether there is a gap in the market.

Evaluation

Once the prototype is ready, this is when we start to talk to real users of the product. They will evaluate the prototype, enabling the design team to find out any pain points, whether they would use it and anything they particularly like (or don’t like) about it.

Taking this feedback into consideration, we are then able to fix any problems that have been identified in the first user testing round and create a higher fidelity prototype, one that is a step closer to being the real product. This is then retested with users.

Refine

All feedback is used as guidance to ensure the right product is designed. The prototypes will be refined further for development to ensure a successful product release. This can also be used for investment purposes to gain traction to get it to market.

Testing early and testing often creates a feedback loop and allows the product to be validated at every stage. This ensures that the right product is being designed and developed with users in mind at every stage.