- Prototyping is a core skill in design thinking,
but it isn't always the right activity
for every challenge you'll face in the design process.
In the context of today's business world
design thinking is a making-based approach
to problem solving
that's rooted in human empathy,
and done in collaborative multidisciplinary teams.
Prototyping is one of the key methods
for effective making and exploration of solutions.
But you need to ask yourself if now is the right time
in your project to create a prototype.
There are two major pitfalls I often see with teams,
they either don't have a fully formed idea to work from,
or they're getting trapped in the details prematurely.
This is when you should stop
and ask yourself a few questions.
First off, is your idea complete?
Secondly, are you getting distracted by details
instead of answering the tough questions?
Prototyping is great for exploring how ideas
can be realized
and to generate different ways an idea can be expressed,
but it's important to have a concept
or an idea to start with,
otherwise you risk making without a clear reason and goal.
We love to make solutions
and to refine the details,
but keep an eye out to make sure you're not falling
into that detail trap where you're actually avoiding
the heart of the solution
just to improve the little details of your prototype.