1.
EARLY CONCEPT
PROTOTYPING
Marti Gold
Managing Director of
User Experience
November 14, 2014

2.
What is
EARLY CONCEPT
PROTOTYPING?

3.
Low-fidelity representations
to more clearly define a product’s features and function
early in the design process.

4.
Commonly Known Benefits
• Static images cannot
communicate interactions. Only
prototypes can bring an early
concept “to life.”
• Changes to prototypes are
FAR less costly, in both time
and resources, than even the
smallest changes after development is
underway.

5.
More Benefits…
• Clickable prototypes are
an invaluable reference
for developers, particularly
offsite teams.
• Prototypes ensure
“a common vision”
of the product across the
entire organization.

6.
Two Other
“Not So Commonly Known”
Benefits…

7.
Prototypes create
EXCITEMENT
within any organization

8.
“A prototype will save 1,000 emails”

9.
Removing The Myths
• Testing early prototypes
does NOT require
expensive labs.
Company cafeterias or local
coffee shops work fine.
• Tests do NOT require
weeks to set up. Clickable
prototypes can now be built,
and tests completed, in a
single day.

10.
More Myths….
It does NOT require a lot of test subjects.
3-4 participants are usually sufficient
to find the biggest issues.

11.
Even More Myths…
Developers are not required. There are many
easy-to-use, inexpensive tools – both desktop and
cloud-based – that non-Developers can use.

12.
How Prototyping Changes
Traditional Development Workflows

13.
Without prototyping…
• The Business team
identifies a need
• They prepare executive
presentations
• The app or site moves
forward only after funding
is approved.

14.
Tick tock, tick tock…..
• The application may be in “late
alpha” stage, before it finally goes
to user testing.
• Depending on the results of those
user tests, the app is either …
• Sent back up the funnel for
revisions, OR
• Released “as is” with the
intention of fixing minor issues
via future updates.

15.
This process is unavoidably
Company-Centric
The company builds products the company wants,
and then hopes the User will like them.

16.
With Prototyping, the Flow is Different
• An unfilled/underfilled market need is
identified.
• A small proof-of-concept team is
assembled to gather core requirements
and define the product’s goals.
• Early concept prototyping and testing
starts almost immediately.

17.
Features and
interactions are
rapidly refined
by user
feedback.
Each iteration’s
prototypes
increase in
fidelity.

18.
The “Go” or “NO Go” Decision
• When prototype
confidence (negative or
positive) reaches a
certain level either…
• The idea is submitted
for executive funding
OR
• The idea is abandoned.

19.
Funding Decisions: Powerpoints vs Prototypes
Which do you think will give your executives
more confidence in product funding decisions?

20.
Once funded…
• The larger cross-departmental product team is assembled
• Iterations and testing continue with increasing prototype
fidelity.
• Back-end/services development work which is not dependent
upon the UI can be started, further reducing time to market.
• Eventually, we arrive at a “launch-approved” prototype which
simulates final interactions, visuals and features as closely as
possible.
• Prototype and documentation go to final coding.

21.
Tonic3’s Prototyping Workflow

22.
Prototyping processes are inherently
User-Centric
The company builds products the User wants,
and can be confident the User will like them.

23.
Tips to successfully adopt
early concept prototyping
Making perceived
hurdles disappear

24.
3 people. 3 weeks. 1 room.
1 Business
1 UX
1 Developer
Give them free-rein…
• Uninterrupted blocks of time
• A project room to work together
• Prototyping tools/software
• Easy access to users (usertesting.com, etc.)

25.
Encourage Free Exploration
• ENCOURAGE your product teams to
embrace early concept prototyping to
explore many ideas.
• ASK for even more iterations when
something looks promising. Ideas trigger
more ideas.
• FUND the truly brilliant and game-changing

26.
Don’t “marry” early visions
• Early concept prototypes WILL
uncover many unexpected things
• Logic flaws
• Critical features that were
overlooked
• Remind everyone NOT to become
emotionally attached to an early
vision. They could overlook large
gaps.

27.
Stay focused on the basics
• Early concept
prototypes are meant
to confirm the
product’s viability
and overall direction.
• Secondary features
can incorporated,
debated, and tested
after funding

28.
Build all early prototypes as white labels
• Eliminates brand bias.
• Minimizes the need for legal
and security reviews
• Ensures early ideas are not
accidentally divulged to
competitors during
feedback phases.

29.
About now,
the Product Managers in the
audience will look like this…

30.
But here are the
PROJECT Managers…

31.
Talking Project Managers “Off the Ledge”
• Effectively implementing early-concept
prototyping may (read “will”) require
adjustments to existing workflow
processes and process tracking tools.
• It will be messy at the beginning.
• But you MUST keep telling the project
managers… “THIS IS OKAY.”

32.
So, what is the best way for
your organization to implement
early concept prototyping?

33.
In the true
spirit of
prototyping,
just START.
And get feedback…
And then refine…
And get feedback
again….

34.
Thank you.