Katie Coen

In any project, you can organize and plan for how you want it to be, but the most important part of the process is putting everything together. In a Design Sprint, this happens on Day 4 during prototyping. 

This is when the storyboards come to life through wireframes, and eventually, in a low or high fidelity product. To start the process, the team must sort out their roles, each taking on different tasks to use time efficiently. Everyone sticks to their assigned roles, whether they are making the physical designs or putting them together with coding. 

The next thing to decide is what tools your team will use. Figma is a great example of a software that allows users to design wireframes and then string them together for a high-fidelity prototype. This works well for an app, like the financial education app I have been creating. But a prototype can be made on a variety of softwares. Powerpoint, Canva, 3D printing, and acting out a process can be used, all depending on the sprint goal. 

Once the tools have been decided, sprinters can get to work designing, writing, and stitching. Contrary to some other fields, the prototype does not need to be a fully completed product. It is a mockup of what will be created once the Sprint is completed.

You are building just what you need to make the prototype real enough to get an authentic response from a potential user in the Validate phase. This means mapping out the exact flow for the experience and only building the steps you want to test. There is no need to build a full functional back-end or to solve for every flow in your product.

Design Sprint Kit, Phase 5: Prototype

With everyone working together and doing their part, the mockup comes together quickly. For an app or website, wireframes help guide the prototype and what needs to be included. The designed pages then are given actions and an interactive prototype can be created.

The mockup is complete, but that does not mean it’s time to jump right into user testing. The group must first come together to observe the prototype they have created and brainstorm ways it can be improved. John Knapp in “Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days” reminds that this is also a good time to remember the goals of the sprint and ensure all the boxes are checked.

The trial run is also a great time to revisit your sprint questions. It’s one last check to make sure your prototype will help you get answers.

Jake Knapp, Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days

At the end of the day when user testing and the project are complete, it’s important to remember the product could present itself differently from the prototype. This step is just a mockup of the idea and allows creators to visualize what it would look like for the Sprint purposes.

If a user can understand and use your prototype, it is good enough… Don’t waste time designing stuff that doesn’t add value to the usability test.

Relab Academy, 7 Tips to Make Prototyping a Breeze in Your Design Sprint

Now what’s left? Put the prototype to the test.