Prototyping
A prototype is the first step in the product design and strategy process where you can see results in the form of a tangible (or now digital) space. It is where all the ideation has come together to create features that will lead to the successful creation of the product. The guest speaker, Ms. Sandra talked about how prototyping works in the Google Creative Lab and how they have a large number of printers, 3-D printers, work stations and how the group involved in this process varies from marketeers, engineers and designers. However, prototyping isn’t always a 3-D model, it can also be a sketch or a model created using the various digital tools. In the design thinking process, prototyping is used to quickly and cheaply test and iterate on ideas. By creating low-fidelity prototypes, designers can explore multiple ideas and gather feedback from users early in the design process, before investing in expensive production.
Testing is the most important part of taking a product to market. This process can help define the success and pain points of the product. Companies such as “Booking.com” used two interfaces of their booking page to see which page got the most responses from users. This kind of A/B testing helps firms in the long run by understanding user behavior and is a big part of human-centred design. Another example of a company in a similar industry that largely depends on its webpage for customer interaction is Airbnb. One example of a successful A/B test conducted by Airbnb involved the placement of the “Book” button on its search results page. The company tested two versions of the page — one with the “Book” button on the right-hand side and one with the button on the left-hand side. After analysing the results of the test, Airbnb discovered that the version with the “Book” button on the left-hand side led to a 17% increase in bookings.
Prototyping in the design thinking process has several benefits. It allows designers to quickly test and iterate on ideas, reducing the risk of costly mistakes and ensuring that the final product meets the needs of the user. Prototyping also encourages a culture of experimentation and innovation, allowing designers to explore new ideas and challenge assumptions.
Overall, prototyping is a crucial element of the design thinking process. By creating prototypes and gathering user feedback, designers can create products that are not only visually appealing but also functional and intuitive to use. Prototyping allows designers to quickly and cheaply test and refine their ideas, ultimately resulting in innovative and user-centred products.