Prototypes

The 1 Line Description

Learn more about low-fidelity, high-fidelity and technical prototypes, to test early stage concepts.

When to use it

During the concept validation / customer discovery phase.

Key Ideas

1. Low-Fidelity Prototype

Communicate an early-stage concept by making a preliminary version to test with potential users.

Spend no more than 2-3 days on this.

‍

By including the majority of characteristics in a simplified form, a low fidelity prototype is a fantastic way to quickly test a concepts broad ideas / features. Whilst a low fidelity prototype can take almost any form, it’s purpose—rapid iteration with minimal overheads—must remain constant. As such, popular methods include paper prototypes and wireframing.

Instructions

  1. Decide on an the experience you wish to develop (N.B. you should have already created a storyboard, and know in broad strokes the experience you’re seeking to create).
  2. Sketch the main ideas / features on paper (N.B. Whilst this step isn’t always necessary, we’ve found it to be helpful).
  3. If your sketches clearly communicate a concepts broad ideas / features, consider running a usability test. Otherwise, recreate the sketches wireframes with a digital design tool (see Sketch below).
  4. Run a usability test.

The Output

  • Insights into how users might perceive a concept.

Suggested Resources

‍

2. High-Fidelity Prototype

Simulate a concepts core functionality and visual design to test with potential users.

Spend no more than 2-3 days on this.

Hopefully you’ve already created a low-fidelity prototype, and therefore have an understanding your concepts broad ideas / features. As the name suggests, a high-fidelity prototype is a step up from this, and looks to add interactivity and elements of visual design.

Instructions

  1. Decide on the functionality you wish to develop (e.g. )
  2. Sketch the main interactions on paper, and show the links / interactions a user would be able to make (N.B. Whilst this step isn’t always necessary, we’ve found it to be helpful).
  3. Recreate the main interactions you’ve drawn with a digital design tool (see Sketch below), and consider elements of visual design (e.g. type hierarchy).
  4. If you’re looking to test a flow, use a tool such as Invision (see below) to create a click-through prototype. If you’re looking to test a specific interaction (e.g. adding a new payment method), use a tool such as Origami (see below).
  5. Run usability tests.

The Output

  • Insights into how users might perceive a concept.

Suggested Resources

‍

3. Technical Prototype

Go beyond a concepts broad ideas and test the riskiest assumptions.

Time spent on this step will vary across startups. Find the quickest and cheapest ways to test your biggest assumptions.

‍

For many concepts, a high-fidelity prototype (or even a low-fidelity prototype) is all that’s required to validate a new business idea. However from time to time, it’s won’t be possible to validate a concept with ‘dummy’ data and mock-ups. This can be because a concept requires real data (e.g. it relies on a user’s location), or it could be that there’s questions around its technically feasible.

In these scenarios we turn to a technical prototype. By actually building a concept (e.g. an iOS app or a web app), we’re able to test those risky assumptions that our outstanding. As Rik Higham eloquently puts it:

“A Riskiest Assumption Test puts the focus on learning… [they] prioritize the tasks required to validate your idea quickly... There is no need to build more than what’s required to test your largest unknown. No expectation of perfect code or design.”

Instructions

  1. Determine what assumption you’re looking to validate, and ensure this can’t be done as a high-fidelity prototype (i.e. with less effort).
  2. Decide the tools you’ll use to build your prototype (N.B. remember, this should be fast, so choose whatever you’re comfortable working with).
  3. Build the technical prototype.
  4. Run usability tests.

The Output

  • Assumptions validated (or invalidated)

Suggested Resources

‍

Author

Fanni Fejes
Former Product Coach

Tools & Templates

Most Common Mistakes

  • Trying to take each iteration too far. The smaller and faster the iterative steps, the quicker you learn!

Dig Deeper