Production – build prototype, meet customers, evaluate, build prototype

In this session:

You will continue practical prototyping to develop your idea into a prototype. This month you should:

  • create target group research questions and finish onepager; Upload the one pager to Drive and send a copy to your mentor as well for feedback.
  • finish the first draft of prototype. Send it to your mentor for feedback. 
  • have 5-10 interviews done. 

Also, you have discussed with your mentor what resources (for example software or materials) or assistance (for example help from a technical expert) your team will need.

As soon as you have a user flow and some screenshots ready (or even a more advanced prototype), you can plan a customer meeting and test your idea/prototype on the customers. Based on customer feedback you can improve your prototype and develop it further.

During this session you will learn:

  • to use some new prototyping methods and tools to develop your prototype
  • to communicate with customers,
  • to collect user feedback.

Classroom activities and teacher tips

Classroom activities (I lesson)

In the lesson: 

  • Discuss the state of play with teams (5-10 minutes);
  • Show this video to introduce to topic about target group in.
  • Discuss with students think and analyze their target group. Let them introduce their target group to others. A part of a product, service development cycle is meetings and discussions with the target group. Ask them, what they should ask from their target group. (15-20 minutes)
  • Introduce them task of target group interviews.
  • Go through the prepared questions of customer research.

Classroom activities (II lesson)

In the lesson: 

  • Discuss about the state of play with prototyping (5-10 minutes)
  • In case students need more support with prototyping, especially with coding and other technological solutions, let us know. There are several programmes they can use.
  • How are groups dealing with deadlines
  • Go through once more the lean startup cycle and discuss where in that process the teams are.
  • Go through the possible target group questions for the customer research and make sure that everybody has understanding when to do the interviews and how to reach out necessary people.

Classroom activities (III class)

Before the lesson:

  • Choose the methods that you would like to introduce to students this lesson. Make sure that they do have necessary tools, materials, programmes for that.
  • We have chosen some videos for you. In case you want to show them, do it. If not, students can check time in their free time.

In the lesson:

  • Discuss the situation in teams (5-10 minutes):
  • Discuss the needs for prototyping
  • Let students introduce their work to other classmates, so that they can get some feedback.

NB! In case you have more classes, spend the time on building and giving feedback to the work. Let them have time to really try out different versions. 

NB2! More information about app making will come next time. 

Classroom activities (IV lesson)

In the lesson: 

Summary

By now, your team has

  • the idea description
  • some concept sketches or mock-ups of your product
  • a low-fidelity prototype

Also, you have met some of your potential customers and asked feedback about your idea, their experiences with similar products and thoughts about your prototype.

Do you remember the Lean Startup Cycle – during prototyping you build, test, collect data and change your prototype accordingly – the more the merrier!

What have you found out during customer interview or testing?

  • How could you change your product to better suit customer needs?
  • What strengths and weaknesses did you find out?
  • What have you done to overcome the weakness?

If your team has decided that you prepare a low-fidelity prototype for the Prototype Fair, use customer feedback to improve your wireframes, mockups or user flow mindmaps. Or refine your physical prototype.

If your team goes for a more functional high-fidelity prototype but lacks coding skills, do not worry. There are several visual programming tools that you can use to create websites or mobile apps: