Think of your prototype as your digital product's first step into the real world—a world where it has the potential to solve real problems and generate real profits.

Whether you're developing a website or a mobile app, the prototyping stage can make or break your project—and that's a good thing. It allows you to uncover weaknesses before fully committing a greater set of resources to production. This crucial stage ensures that the final product will better address your customers' pain points and offer a usable solution.

We want to provide you, both newcomers and seasoned professionals, with a guide on what you should consider when testing prototypes. This guide includes best practices and real-world examples of successful prototypes and those that fell by the wayside.

Understanding prototypes

Before delving into the testing process, it's essential to understand what prototypes are and their role in digital product development.

Prototypes are preliminary versions of a digital product. They allow stakeholders to visualise and interact with the design and functionality before the final product is built.

These prototypes come in various forms, from paper sketches and wireframes to impressive interactive mock-ups. Paper sketches are useful for initial idea exploration and directional sense-checking, while highly polished prototypes are invaluable for usability testing of a proposed system.

Why prototype testing matters

So, why should you lose sleep over prototype testing? Well, here are some compelling reasons:

• User-centric design: This helps ensure your final product aligns with user needs and preferences. Users can provide feedback early in the development process.

• Cost-efficiency: Detecting and resolving issues during prototyping is cheaper than doing so after your product is fully developed.

• Time savings: It reduces the likelihood of having to make major changes during the later stages of development, thus saving time.

• Minimising risks: By identifying potential issues early, you can mitigate risks and increase the chances of success.

Key considerations for testing prototypes

Before you begin testing, you need to establish clear objectives and goals for your prototype.

What are you trying to learn or validate? For example, are you testing the usability, user interface design, or functionality of the product? When you’ve decided what you want to learn and validate you need to:

• Select the right testing methods: Depending on your objectives, choose the appropriate testing methods. These may include usability testing, user interviews, A/B testing, and more.

• Recruit the right participants: Select those who represent your target audience. This ensures the feedback you receive is relevant and applicable to the end users.

• Establish realistic scenarios: Develop test scenarios that mimic real-world situations. This will help identify how users interact with the product in practical scenarios.

• Collect comprehensive feedback: Look for both positive and negative aspects, as well as suggestions for improvement.

• Iterate and refine: Use the feedback to iterate your prototype. Make necessary adjustments to address identified issues and enhance the user experience.

Example of successful prototype testing: Dropbox

Dropbox began as a simple prototype. Drew Houston, the founder, created a basic video demonstrating the concept and shared it online to gauge interest.

The positive response from viewers validated the idea, and this feedback guided the development of the product. Dropbox's prototype testing confirmed that users indeed needed an easy and reliable way to store and share files in the cloud.

Example of failed prototype testing: Google Glass

Google Glass, a wearable smart device with an integrated heads-up display, faced significant challenges during its prototype testing phase. While the technology was ground-breaking, the device received substantial backlash for privacy concerns and social implications.

The public testing of the prototype highlighted these issues, leading to its discontinuation. The failure of Google Glass demonstrates the importance of considering ethical and social aspects during prototype testing.

Best practices

To ensure effective prototype testing, consider the following best practices:

• Usability testing: This should be a cornerstone of your prototype testing process. Watch how users interact with your prototype to identify pain points and areas for improvement.

• A/B testing: If you have multiple design or functionality options, conduct A/B testing to determine which version performs better. For instance, Airbnb used A/B testing to refine its booking process, resulting in increased conversions.

• Accessibility testing: Ensure your prototype is accessible to users with disabilities. Test for compliance with accessibility standards like WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) to create an inclusive product.

Working with Codehouse

Testing prototypes is a pivotal phase in digital product development, and it can significantly impact the success of a project.

At Codehouse, we apply best practices to all our projects, from usability testing and A/B testing to security and UAT (User Acceptance Testing). Our team of experts can help you create a robust and user-friendly digital product. Get in touch to find out more.