CHAPTER 8
Prototypes
Content Summary
Prototypes are mockups of products, services or just abstract ideas. They should be built for specific reasons such as validation or communication to team members, clients or other stakeholders. A prototype can be so much more than a technical proof that something works. At its best it shows that there is an emotional and rational connection between the provider (organisation) and the user (customer).
This lecture explains why one should build a prototype and emphasizes how it is useful as evidence for future decision making. Designing and building the “final thing” should happen as a side product of gathering evidence, i.e., running experiments. The lecture introduces multiple different ways of creating prototypes and gathering evidence in the spirit of Lean Startup: interviewing, pitching and concierge. Finally, defining critical assumptions helps to decide what to experiment and prototype.
Further readings
- Video: Jeff Gothelf: Lean, Agile & Design Thinking — Principles over process. YLE Areena.
- Kanter, R.M., 1989. Swimming in newstreams: Mastering innovation dilemmas. California Management Review, 31(4), pp.45–69.
- Schneider, J. Understanding Design Thinking, Lean, and Agile. O’Reilly 2017.
- Gothelf, J. Lean vs. Agile vs. Design Thinking. Sense and Respond Press, 2017.
- Wenger, E. Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity ,Cambridge University Press, 1998.
