Iterate, prototype rapidly, build MVPs

Prototypes are supposed to be quick and easy tests of design solutions. 

• Just start building
  Design Thinking has a bias towards action: that means if you have any uncertainties about what you are trying to achieve, your best bet is to just make something. Creating a prototype will help you to think about your idea in a concrete manner, and potentially allow you to gain insights into ways you can improve your idea.
• Don’t spend too much time
  Prototyping is all about speed; the longer you spend building your prototype, the more emotionally attached you can get with your idea, thus hampering your ability to objectively judge its merits.
• Remember what you’re testing for
  All prototypes should have a central testing issue. Do not lose sight of that issue, but at the same time, do not get so bound to it so as to lose sight of other lessons you could learn from.
• Build with the user in mind
  Test the prototype against your expected user behaviours and user needs. Then, learn from the gaps in expectations and realities, and improve your ideas.

A minimum viable product (MVP) is a product with just enough features to satisfy early customers, and to provide feedback for future product development.

All Minimum Viable Products have one thing in common: they’re faster and easier to create and release, and they offer the most essential functionality of the end product. 

Common steps to create a minimum viable product are:

• Idea generation
• Getting to minimum by delivering the minimum core value
• Creating the simplest way to deliver the chosen value
• Beta testing and getting feedback
• Iterating based on feedback

Talking to users and making assumptions is one thing. But actually watching them try out what you’ve deemed right is another.

Building a prototype of your ideas, you can instantly check user feedback and eliminating biases early on and improve your end product.

Test hypotheses and refine ideas

Conduct usability testing with ‘real’ users of the product or service

Gather data and validate product requirements and assumptions