When you have figured out what problem you will try to solve with your idea, it is time to prepare for prototyping. A prototype is an early model of a product which is built to test the product idea, and make it better before actual production.
Team task: Set team roles and timeline. Upload an overview of your filled Trello board and send it to your mentor for feedback.
During this sessions, you will learn:
- what are key terms in prototyping
- reasons why prototyping is necessary
- what are different prototyping methods what are the tools for prototyping
- how to prototype a physical product – works as an introduction for all teams
- for technically advanced teams, how and where to search, collect and process information to choose the most appropriate technology for your idea
- how to continue using Trello and stick to your roles in a team
Tasks
Team task: Be ready with your first prototype draft, ask mentor`s feedback and develop it based on feedback you received.
Teacher tips
- Go through the introduction to prototyping.
- Get to know the key terms in prototyping. See the material (sub-page)
- Introduce different methods of prototyping by showing this video
- Go through deadlines and tasks of this phase.
Discuss the roles of teams and tasks of each role.
Before prototyping, a team should have
●
a product idea – have they fulfilled onepager?
How far are they with different phases of design thinking ( empathy,
definition, ideation)?
●
a mentor – he/she supports the team through the
whole process, helps with team cooperation and division of roles, gives advice
on business and sometimes also technical issues (or refers to a technical
expert)
●
customer research done – it helps to find out more
about the problem they try to solve with their product, and customer needs. If
the team´s idea is not quite clear yet the customer interviews help them to
clarify it. If they think the idea is perfectly clear the customer interviews
might give you new insights.
Student teams have worked and will work at a different pace. This
is ok!
If they still need to work with their market or customer research,
there are instructions in the course. Also, they can ask an advice from you.
Please support the teams in dividing tasks: for example, they can
decide who does the market research, and who interviews the potential
customers. Some teams gather have made a short e-questionnaire to gather
information about customer needs.
●
Prepare necessary materials for trying out prototyping methods
(paper + pencils and Padlet + Moodboard). In case students have already used
these methods and you have a feeling that there are some other methods to
create moodboards and mindmaps, use those.
●
Go through the video that introduces Trello
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzwovrD0vM4&t=4s) so that you are able to
answer to students questions.
Student teams have worked and will work at a different place. This
is ok! If you still need to work with your market or customer research, see
team task below and ask for advice from your teacher.
You can save time by dividing tasks between team members: for
example, you can decide who does the market research, and who interviews the
potential customers. In this meeting we will cover time and task management.
A prototype is an early model of a
product which is built to test the product or service idea, and make it better
before an actual production.
Prototyping is the most important part of the product development
process. This helps you to figure out how to make your idea actually work. You
will practice to use different prototyping tools, test your prototype on target
audience, learn from customer feedback, and improve the prototype.
Prototyping goes in cycles – you build, test, change, test, change
etc. So you can take as many cycles as you decide or need!
Prototype phase will end with the
Prototype Fair where all the teams will present their prototypes.
●
See the
introduction to prototyping (.ppt)
●
Get to know
the
key terms in prototyping (sub-page)
There are different methods. Within the next weeks you will try
different methods.
This video will give a brief overview of some methods.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=45&v=JMjozqJS44M&feature=emb_logo
Most important activities of this phase are:
●
set team roles and timeline
●
create target group research questions and finish one pager
●
finish the first draft of prototype
●
have at least 6 interviews with members of the target group
●
finish the draft of pitch
●
finish the second draft of prototype
●
create pitch and presentation for the prototype fair
●
finish the final draft of the prototype
Discuss in your team meeting, when and how you will do the tasks.
First task in this list will help you to set proper roles for everybody and
devide tasks between team members. This will make your life easier, as you will
know now, who is responsible of what.
Most important roles in the light of DigiYouth programme
are:
group manager/leader, who:
●
is responsible of wellbeing of every team member
●
checks the tasks and deadlines – are you in the schedule? Are
people doing what they have promised? If not, how you solve the situation?
Should they delegate some tasks or do they need help of team member, teacher or
mentor?
●
creates agendas and sets meetings
designer, who:
●
creates the design of the prototype
●
chooses the method of creating a prototype
●
tries to make your idea into reality
communication and marketing
specialist, who:
●
gives out information about the product/service to the audience
and outside world
●
creates written and oral materials about the product/service
(texts, pages etc)
●
communicates with possible clients, including target group members
There are other tasks and possible positions, of course, but these
are the most basic ones that you should cover for sure. Also, there might be 2
designers and three communication specialists or some people who do both, but
please keep in mind that there should be at least 1 person for each role in
your team.
Team tasks (during the meeting)
●
Do check-in with your team (use Check-in-check-out tool)
●
How did you spend the holidays?
●
Deadlines and roles
Discuss the tasks you have to do and the
deadlines. Set pre-deadlines.
Discuss the roles: who would like
to do what?
While discussing the roles, think on following questions:
●
What am I good at?
●
What I like to do?
●
What kind of activities are uncomfortable for me?
●
Which skills I would like to develop in myself?
Choose the roles after giving answers to the questions.
Set team roles and timeline. Upload a screenshot of fulfilled
Trello board to Drive and send it to your mentor for feedback.
The board will be shown to you during the second class.
Introduction to Prototyping
Methods and Team Roles
By this moment, you already know why prototyping is necessary.
There are several ways how to prototype. Why to use different methods? Every
product, service is unique. In order to understand it better and to see it from
the angles that customers see it, it is important to use several methods. Start
from easier methods and move slowly, step by step, to more complicated ones. In
this lesson you will try out different methods.
1. Create a moodboard.
Sign in to Padlet. Padlet is a useful tool when you start creating
moodboards – something that helps you to have a visual overview of certain
style or elements you want to be used. A bit like Pinterest. You have 10
minutes to search and upload photos of your dream vacation. Where would you
like to go? What would you like to do there? What would you like to eat? Will
you be there alone or with some special people? Add all this to your Padlet
wall. Introduce your work to others.
2. Mindmapping. Take max 15 minutes for that. Take
some paper and a pencil. Draw a mindmap
of the idea your team has decided to work with.
Focus on the main functions – how the user will use it? What is
the first step – is it clicking on some button? What happens next? What does
the user do with it step by step? You can start with only boxes and arrows, and
write short descriptions by the boxes.
Also, draw simple screenshots of your app or website. For example
an opening/start page, see
example below:
Show your work to your team.
Questions to help sketching apps
or websites, physical objects or games
Teams have
different products. Find your product type below and think of the following
questions.
●
Which main function does the app/website have? How are they
presented in the menu?
●
What happens when I press the app icon on my phone screen?
●
How does the opening page and other pages of the website look
like?
●
What are the options? How do I select them?
A physical object (for example a
wearable product):
●
How does it look like (size, shape)?
●
How do I turn it on/off? If it is a wearable smart product, how do
I start the technology?
●
How would you present it on a web page?
The easiest way is to use pen and paper, take photos of your
sketches and upload them to a Google folder.
You can also prepare a Powerpoint presentation in the future, if
you prefer to work electronically.
●
Which platform is it for? (PC/MAC/phone etc)
●
What do I do in it?
●
How do I win?
●
How do I get from START screen to the game?
●
What does a level look like? Do I have a tutorial level before the
actual game?
●
Use existing games and screen captures from games to copy and past
visuals. Make a collage to create the idea of what their game should look like
in terms of scene (levels) and player position, camera angle, obstacles on the
level etc.
When you have decided on the roles (the very basic ones) based on
peoples strengths and development needs, it is time to work more precisely on
your schedule. For that, we recommend to use Trello. There are several time and
team work management tools that you can use. Trello is something, which allows
several people to work at the same time, change deadlines and dates. Also, it
gives a very good overview, what has been done.
Check the intro video of Trello during the lesson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzwovrD0vM4
Here is an example Trello board that you can take into account.
Trello is a tool for every team member, but the team leader should keep an eye
on it the most (change deadlines, tasks etc).
Team tasks (during the meeting)
●
Do check-in with your team (use Check-in-check-out tool)
●
What is your highlight of the week?
●
Share your mindmaps and discuss about them. 1) What elements
mindmaps consist? 2) How did the works differ? 3) What was similar? 4) Would
you like to choose an example one that you work with in the future?
●
In case you did not do that earlier, set the roles for the future
work now. Don’t be afraid, these are just roles for some time and it is
important that you help one another. When the roles have been chosen, create
your own Trello board for time and task management. The group leader, with the
help of others, should add to the board your deadlines and pre-deadlines. Make
each task into several smaller tasks and add deadlines and people who are
responsible to each task. In this case, the programme will help you keep in
mind necessary steps. Before fulfilling it, discuss what kind of
categories should there be? How should you use the colors? Everytime you have
finished a task or created a new one, postponed a previous one, make the change
in your board as well. At first this will take some time, but you will get used
to it soon.
Upload a screenshot of fulfilled Trello board to Drive and send it to your mentor for feedback.
The board will be shown to you during the second class.