Prototyping – the benefits and what it can teach us about people

UAL Futures #4 – UX in CONTEXT Mark Jenkins @markjenkins
KANYE WEST LYRICS The key to prototyping faster

99 PROBLEMS you didn’t know prototyping could solve

THE PRINCESS guide to prototyping like a total legend

DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE.

Time to get real...

Prototyping The benefits and how we can use it to learn about people

I believe that Design is more than just how things are displayed visually

I believe that Design is a combination of how things look, read, work and delight people.

Prototype noun [proh-tuh-tahyp] A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.

Prototyping isn’t something new. It’s not something that just startups do.

Da Vinci’s works included painting, sculpturing, mathemathics, engineering, architecture, music, anatomy, geology, geography and botany. The list goes on and on.

Da Vinci was so far ahead of his time. His engineering prototypes predicted the future.

The tank The spring powered car

The machine gun

Da Vinci was prototyping ideas 496 years ago...

Prototyping is not a new thing.

Prototyping can help you make informed decisions. Informed decisions can lead to better results.

It can lead to a quicker understanding of how your idea might help people with their problems.

Putting something tangible in someone’s hand is extremely powerful.

They can interact with their mouse, their fingers and their thumbs. This can help bring your idea to life.

With the tools we have today you can get your idea into the hands of anyone, anywhere in the world.

CHEAT.

REALLY?

Download a UI kit for FREE. Build using the kit.

You can do the same thing with a piece of paper and a pen.

What’s the best tool to use?

There are loads! New ones come out every week. Use what you feel comfortable with.

What’s the best way to get your idea out there in the open?

The following prototype was put together with very little effort using Sketch and Invision.

I use this to test a signup flow.

It’s an extremely powerful way of telling the story behind your idea.

Stitch screens together with simple interactions. Get a better sense of how things flow.

Be simple with the way that you test your idea.

Run through tasks and see how they react.

This is invaluable information and can provide you with great insights.

Let’s talk about value.

A lot of people believe that a highly polished design that has taken countless hours to make will be of the highest value....

Don’t expect your first design will be ‘right’.

You won’t learn much if you don’t show people your designs.

The source of the highest value is the from the people you are designing for.

Don’t be too precious about how things look.

You can explain how something might work with a basic drawing or prototype which can be put together very quickly.

Sit down with someone over a coffee. Ask questions. Get them to perform tasks. You’ll be amazed at what you can learn.

Test with different people and document your findings. Record what they say. Record what they do. Ask them how they feel when you’re testing.

Make changes, quickly. Test again.

That was easy, wasn’t it?

You haven’t spent hours perfecting the design

(Also known as SUCCESS)

I’ll let you in on a little secret.

It’s not a secret really. But...

“Perfect” doesn’t exist.

Saving valuable time does.

Go back. Make some more changes. Test again.

Nail down your flow with sketches and wireframes. You’ll move quicker when you need to present higher fidelity designs.

Use prototyping to experiment with interactions.

Step up the fidelity when you need to. Use tools like Pixate, FramerJS or even Keynote to start animating your interactions. This will help save a lot of developer pain. Trust me.

Prototyping micro interactions will help you explain what you’re trying to do.

That’s why we prototype...

To explain what we are trying to do.

To explain our attempt at solving problems through design.

To explain our design decisions through something tangible.

Remember, a prototype is… built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.

I used Designer News to crowdsource what prototyping means to the design community.

“As you wouldn’t let a new pilot take off without hours spent in a simulator, you shouldn’t let your product process take off without a prototype” – Christian Sinding-Larsen, UX Designer, Isobar

“We use prototypes for storytelling. For explaining app ideas to stakeholders. People have a nicer time when they are presented with a realistic model of an idea” – Tobin Harris, CEO, Pocketworks Mobile Studios

“It’s one of the quickest ways to kill a bad idea” – Alfred Beckman, Designer, Brisk.io

“Building a product without prototyping is like starting a construction on a building without a blueprint” – Austin Price, Partner/Lead Designer, Kit

“...nothing explains how something will work like seeing it work” – Phil Rau, UI/UX Designer, Markit on Demand

Add prototyping to your set of skills.

Work out what the problem is early on.

Test your solution with people early.

Maximise the outcome from your effort.

Learn faster and smarter.

Design the right thing.

Build the right thing.

Keep testing and learning.

Throw a party to celebrate your new found skills.

THANK YOU

Stay in touch. [email protected] @markjenkins

Prototyping – the benefits and what it can teac...

Prototyping – the benefits and what it can teach us about people

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