{"id":4292,"date":"2015-09-15T10:00:33","date_gmt":"2015-09-15T08:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hatrabbits.com\/?p=4292"},"modified":"2023-11-21T11:46:17","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T10:46:17","slug":"its-alive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hatrabbits.com\/en\/its-alive\/","title":{"rendered":"“It’s Alive!!!” – why prototyping works"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever tried to explain an idea\u00a0in\u00a0words? You probably had a hard time. Words alone are often not enough\u00a0to quickly get the message across.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every audience has a bunch of presumptions and strong perceptions before you even start talking about your idea. Thereby words are ambiguous. The less you explain, the bigger the chance that your audience is not fully grasping your idea. Or even worse; that they’re creating their own version of it in their minds.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a designer, I know that it never hurts to use some\u00a0\u2018visual violence\u2019 in your presentation. Just to support and explain a story. In the end, a picture is worth a thousand words<\/a>. However, I have also noticed that sketches, visuals or designs are not always sufficient. To explain an idea you sometimes need something more tangible\u2026 a prototype.<\/span><\/p>\n

People love prototypes<\/a><\/span>. Most of us are very excited to interact with an early version of an idea. It makes us feel special to be one of the first users. <\/span><\/p>\n

Let’s be honest,\u00a0prototypes are awesome.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prototypes are like newborn babies. Although they can be pretty ugly (most of the times\u00a0<\/span>they are) they also trigger an emotional response that makes people\u00a0want to take good care of them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prototypes don\u2019t have to be perfect. In fact, it is even better if they are not, because this way it’s clear\u00a0that the idea is still\u00a0a beta version.<\/p>\n

There are 3 good reasons why you should always turn your\u00a0idea into a prototype.<\/p>\n

1) It Allows You To Test Your\u00a0Assumptions<\/strong><\/p>\n

It’s one thing to\u00a0come up with an idea, but it’s something completely different to see if it works\u00a0in real life. There are many factors that you will overlook when you come\u00a0up with ideas. A business culture, tradition, gravity etc. Every external\u00a0component can be of influence\u00a0when it comes to the success of your\u00a0ideas.<\/p>\n

2) It Helps To Explain An Idea<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not everybody is blessed with infinite imagination. We all think differently. Some people find it hard to visualize how an idea would work\u00a0in real life. Don’t assume that they get it. Show them.<\/p>\n

3) It Engages Your Audience<\/strong><\/p>\n

Prototypes are irresistible. Perhaps your audience (team, managers\u00a0or clients) does not believe in your idea. A\u00a0prototype will definitely\u00a0make them curious. They probably want to check out what you’ve\u00a0created. (Chances are that if they interact with your prototype they’ll start to look at things differently …and might agree with you after all.)<\/p>\n

\u201cTell me and I forget,<\/em>
\n teach me and I may remember,<\/em>
\n involve me and I learn.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2015 Benjamin Franklin<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

These days there are infinite\u00a0options for\u00a0rapid prototyping<\/a><\/span>. Make use of the latest technology, like 3d printers, lasers\u00a0or mockup\u00a0tools like InVision<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At the same time, don\u2019t be afraid to get your hands dirty. You can use literally anything\u00a0to\u00a0let an\u00a0idea come to life. Steel, plastic, cardboard, paper, duct tape etc. The possibilities are endless.<\/p>\n

I hear you think; \u201cJeroen, this is all great, but my innovation is not\u00a0a product<\/em>.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

No worries.\u00a0The principles of prototyping can also be applied to services, processes and business models. You can always test an idea. A prototype or pilot is just a quick way to investigate your assumptions and to see if an\u00a0idea is feasible or not.<\/span><\/p>\n

Set up a pilot, test it out in a controlled environment, measure the results, role play with your employees on how it would work or simply ask your customer<\/a><\/span> what they think.<\/p>\n

Challenge yourself to find answers to questions such as; does it work in practice? Does it solve my problem? Do people get it?\u00a0Do users know how to interact with it? Is it efficient? Have we taken all factors into account? etc.<\/span><\/p>\n

You should see yourself as one of the guys from\u00a0MythBusters;<\/em>\u00a0\u201cThere is this idea.. and we should definitely figure\u00a0out if it works in real life!!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Like this article?
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A prototype is a great way to test your assumptions and the feasibility of an idea, whether your thinking about a product, a service, a process or a business model.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22915,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"mc4wp_mailchimp_campaign":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[197,101],"tags":[549,67,548,545,546,550,547],"class_list":["post-4292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-innovation","category-presentation","tag-feasibility","tag-idea","tag-mockup","tag-prototype","tag-prototyping","tag-rapid-prototyping","tag-testing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPrototyping - 3 reasons why you should turn your\u00a0idea into a prototype.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A prototype is a great way to test your assumptions and to find out if your idea is feasible.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hatrabbits.com\/en\/its-alive\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Prototyping - 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