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Let us build the solution. We are at a point where we maxed out on our research capabilities. Now we need to create a tangible version of the solutions we derived. Make sure your concept of the solution you envision is clear. The first question you should ask yourself: Do you want to continue with all three solutions from Phase 4 Ideation and use faster prototyping methods to validate them, or will you choose one?
Since prototyping is a universal skill not tied to a specific design process, we will not explore it in great detail but will cover the main facts for non-designers.
Prototypes can be anything from a miniature Lego version to realistic 1:1 working models. They can take anywhere from seconds to months to build.
Before we start any prototype, you should always ask yourself: “What do we want to demonstrate or explore with the prototype?“ The answer could be proving that it works (proof of connects), creating a concept (concept), showing how what a final solution could look like (visual prototype), or testing if it works with your user group (reiterating Phase 5 Users).
The most important thing about each of these prototypes is that it only focuses on one aspect of your product, which saves time and costs. Here are some answers to the question: What do we want to demonstrate or explore with the prototype?
The answer to this question also highly depends on the output your team and the client wants to see. Consider it during this phase.
Step 1: Make sure the concept of your product is clear.
Step 2: Answer the question: What do we want to demonstrate or explore with the prototype.
Step 3: Create a prototype. Use all the skills and resources your team has.
With these prototypes, I want to demonstrate that the process allows us to create different solutions for different users. Therefore I built three prototypes for three user groups that are as diverse as possible. Since they are used to visualize that the process can create tangible results fast, the prototypes had to be as realistic as possible. Thus I build visual prototypes of the solution.
Prototyp #1 Smart waterbottle Aimed at users that strictly monitor their water balance for health reasons, this bottle makes it easy to keep an eye on it. The bottle automatically recognizes the amounts you drink and refill. Your stats are shown on a small E-Ink display. An app that connects with the bottle allows you to manually add extra drinks, give you more insights, and compete with friends.
Prototyp #2 Irrigation and sensors for indoor farming Developed for indoor agriculture, this irrigation system only relies on water and light. Starting from a water source, the system can be connected in series or parallel and used for individual plants or an area. The sensors measure soil values which get analyzed online. This enables you to gather other additional care instructions. The display connects the digital values to a physical space.
Irrigation and sensors for indoor farming
Prototyp #3 Guidance system Spaces with fast-changing floorplans need signage that changes at the same pace. These stands are powered by solar energy and use a big E-Ink display in the front. Thus they can be set up fast without additional wiring or printing. All data is uploaded or scheduled online. The concept can be extended to many other formats, either suspended from the ceiling, on the wall, or free-standing.
Display visualization
Since installing reals displays was impossible within the timeframe, I created an AR application to visualize the displays changing. To do so effectively, I used Spark AR, an application to build Instagram filters.
