In the fourth step of the design thinking process, Prototype, UX designers transform their ideas into tangible representations that can be tested and refined. As Uijun Park explains in his book “Introduction to Design Thinking for UX Beginners,” prototyping is a crucial step that allows designers to communicate their ideas effectively, gather feedback, and iterate on their designs before investing significant resources in development.
A prototype is more than just a high-fidelity visual representation of the final product. It can take various forms, depending on the stage of the design process and the goals of the prototype. Park categorizes prototypes into three main types:
- Low-Fidelity (Lo-Fi) Prototypes: These are simple, quick representations of ideas, often in the form of sketches or wireframes. Lo-Fi prototypes are useful for rapidly exploring and communicating concepts without getting bogged down in visual details.
- Mid-Fidelity (Mid-Fi) Prototypes: These prototypes have more detail and structure than Lo-Fi prototypes but are not yet fully polished. Mid-Fi prototypes, such as wireframes or user flows, are helpful for defining the layout, functionality, and user journey of a product.
- High-Fidelity (Hi-Fi) Prototypes: These are detailed, interactive representations of the final product, often created using UI design tools. Hi-Fi prototypes are useful for testing usability, gathering feedback on visual design, and preparing for development.
Park emphasizes the importance of starting with Lo-Fi prototypes and progressively increasing fidelity as the design evolves. This approach allows designers to quickly iterate on their ideas and make changes based on feedback without investing too much time in polishing visual details prematurely.
To create effective prototypes, Park recommends using tools such as sketching, wireframing software (e.g., Figma, Adobe XD), and prototyping platforms (e.g., InVision, Marvel). He also stresses the importance of creating user flows and defining the information architecture of the product to ensure a cohesive and intuitive user experience.
Continuing the shoe-shopping app case study, the UX designer creates a Lo-Fi sketch of the proposed photo gallery feature, then progresses to a Mid-Fi wireframe to define the layout and functionality. After refining the design based on team feedback, the designer creates a Hi-Fi prototype in Figma, complete with interactive elements and polished visual design. This Hi-Fi prototype will be used for user testing in the next step of the design thinking process.
By the end of the Prototype phase, UX designers should have a tangible representation of their ideas that can be tested with users and stakeholders. Prototyping allows designers to validate their assumptions, gather valuable feedback, and refine their designs before moving into development.
In the final section, we will explore Step 5: Test, where designers put their prototypes in front of real users to gather insights and iterate on their designs. Get ready to learn how testing can help you create products that truly meet users’ needs!