Step 4: Prototypes
- The final step in the design thinking cycle is about thinking by doing. Instead of just talking about the ideas, we make something that people can actually use and evaluate.
- Prototypes can take many forms: a stack of pen-and-paper sketches, a physical model, an interactive HTML wireframe, a refined visual design, a skit — it all depends on what questions we want to answer.
- Once we’ve made a prototype, we circle back to the first step -- user research -- putting the prototype in front of potential users. Then, lather, rinse, repeat.
- As we move through iterative cycles, the prototypes will become more and more refined, culminating in the final design.
Artifacts: sketches, interactive wireframes, physical models, visual designs
Process