Approaches to Prototyping

1

The Nuts & Bolts

Make & Chat!

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3

PROTOTYPING...

WHAT IS IT?

“Prototyping is the tangible creation of artifacts at various levels of resolution, for development and testing of ideas within design teams and with clients and users.”

SOURCE:

Universal Methods of Design

Quickly test and validate assumptions

Communicate design intent with others

Assess form, materials, ergonomics

Collect feedback from end users

WHY DO WE PROTOTYPE?

LOW-FIDELITY

HIGH-FIDELITY

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LOW-FI VS HIGH-FI

Low-Fi

High-Fi

James Dyson, founder of the Dyson Vacuum company, spent 5 years developing 5,127 prototypes for the G-Force vacuum, the world’s first vacuum to utilize cyclonic separation.

SOURCE: www.jamesdysonfoundation.co.uk

NUVU STUDENT EXAMPLE

Low-Cost Mask Testing Device

Low-Fidelity

High-Fidelity

NUVU STUDENT EXAMPLE

"Mindfulness Eating Kit"

Low-Fidelity

High-Fidelity

NUVU STUDENT EXAMPLE

"DNA Discovery"

Low-Fidelity

High-Fidelity

NUVU STUDENT EXAMPLE

"Extendable Garage"

Low-Fidelity

High-Fidelity

Low-Fidelity Prototypes

High-Fidelity Prototypes

Easy and fast to make

Low Cost

No special equipment needed

Can look rough-and-ready

Harder to simulate functionality

Hard to visualize aesthetics

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Great-Looking

Good for showcasing a finalized concept

Helps with "buy-in" from stakeholders

Harder/slower to produce

Higher cost

Specialty equipment / materials may be needed

VS

CONVERGENT

THINKING

DIVERGENT

THINKING

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CONVERGENT VS DIVERGENT THINKING

Prompt:

Design a cow mug...

CONVERGENT PROTOTYPING

"GloFlo"

DIVERGENT PROTOTYPING

"Patch"

Convergent Thinking

Divergent Thinking

Leads to more feasible solutions

Allows students to go "deeper" into making

Seeks to answer questions

Risk of confirmation bias

Limited creativity and innovation

Can miss out on alternative solutions

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Encourages "Out-of-the-box" ideas

Creates more opportunity for discovery

Helps students overcome bias towards "favorite" ideas

Not all ideas will be feasible

Can be overwhelming

Takes time to produce several prototypes

VS

Approaches to Prototyping

1

The Nuts & Bolts

Make & Chat!

2

3

LO-FI

MATERIALS

• Corrugated Cardboard
• Chipboard
• Bristol Paper
• Dowels
• Rubber bands
• Pipe Cleaners
• Straws
• Cardboard Tubes
• Popsicle Sticks
• Brass Brads

LO-FI

ATTCHMENT

METHODS

• Masking Tape
• Painter’s Tape
• Hot Glue
• Sobo/Tacky Glue
• Paper Clips

LO-FI

TOOLS

• Box Cutter
• Cutting Mat (Self-Healing)
• Metal Ruler 
• Scissors
• Speed Square
• T-Square
• 123 Blocks
• Canary Cutter

CARDBOARD TECHNIQUES: CUTTING

Straight

Curves

CARDBOARD TECHNIQUES: SHAPING

Bending

Scoring

Curving

Faceting

Layering

Hinging

CARDBOARD TECHNIQUES: JOINERY

Brads

Flanges

Brace

Skewer

Bend

Hinge

Slots

Butt Joint

COOL CARDBOARD PROTOTYPES

Deep Sea Bots Studio

COOL CARDBOARD PROTOTYPES

Responsive Architecture Studio

Approaches to Prototyping

1

The Nuts & Bolts

Make & Chat!

2

3

HANDS-ON ACTIVITY (15 MIN)

PlayScape Mix-n-Match

On the following slide, you will see two lists: one of shapes, and one of action words. You will choose one item from each list, and create a design for a novel playground feature based on their combination.

For example, one might choose the "heart" shape and "climb", and come up with a design like this --->

Note: Use whatever material you have available: cardboard, some junk mail, tape, etc. This is meant to be fast and generative, not focused on quality construction!

HANDS-ON ACTIVITY (15 MIN)

• Climb
• Hang
• Swing
• Launch
• Sink
• Spin
• Slide
• Trace
• Drop

• Converse
• Traverse
• Roll
• Spiral
• Retreat
• Amplify
• Instigate
• Relay
• Sprint

SHARE YOUR WORK!