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Handout on Prototyping for d.school summer workshop September 2006

Based on Handout for ME377Winter 2006

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Understand Observe Visualize TestBuild

Iterate

PROCESS

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(Evolution of the eye)

ENLIGHTENED TRIAL AND ERROR SUCCEEDS OVER THE PLANNING OF FLAWLESS INTELECT

IDEO Sinus Surgery Device Cannibalized Rough & Ugly Prototype

IDEO Sinus Surgery Device Refined Prototype

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Build

Test

PrototypesInsight

• Ideation and experimentation• Understanding of execution risks

gained• Serendipity is enabled

• Failure happens• Risk is reduced• Assumptions are challenged• The unexpected is revealed• Non-market forces (politics) are removed

from the equation

• Ideas are clearly expressed• Communication is improved

• New insights and learning feed into the development process

• Options are eliminated

ITERATION

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FAIL EARLY

(Cost of failure vs. project time curve)

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FAIL OFTEN

(Risk vs. iteration curve)

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PROTOTYPE ROUGH

(Coulter Leys “PlanB”)

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PROTOTYPE RAPID

(IDEO “surgical tool”)

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PROTOTYPE RIGHT

(Richard Feynman demonstrates how the Challenger O-ring failed)

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PROTOTYPING TIPS

CANNIBALIZE

BE MINDFUL OF RESOURCES

ALWAYS BRING PROTOS

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PROTOTYPE EVERYTHING

(Moon mission)

Golden Rules of Prototyping

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1. One question, one prototype

2. Go far enough

3. Stop before it's perfect

4. Cannibalize as much as possible

5. Don't fall in love with your prototype

6. Always build and share more than one prototype

7. Create to provoke and persuade