We all hit slumps. In our personal and professional lives, challenges are inevitable. Slumps can be defined in many ways. They prevent us from being efficient, effective, and they are the enemy of innovation; they keep us from moving forward. What is difficult is finding ways around these impediments. 

Enter: prototyping– the experimental design-thinking process that helps you shift from ideas and discovery to tangible realizations.

In the world of facilitation, this is a common practice to undergo in a Design Sprint or innovation workshop. Interestingly, many companies and teams can experience road bumps and pitfalls after completing one of these experiences. Why? While most teams emerge from a Design Sprint with a prototype to implement, they often get stuck on the next steps; how to move the project forward. 

So, what’s next? I wrote the book Beyond the Prototype to help you navigate the fuzzy area between ideas and outcomes. If you’ve ever struggled to move a key innovation project forward at work, apply the following post-prototyping practices to launch your next big idea. 

Pro-tip: Use our free Beyond the Prototype Templates to help your team break barriers and excel in innovation.

Purpose

Return to the identified purpose of your project. If you’ve completed a Design Sprint or innovation workshop, you would have chosen a purpose in the goal-setting portion of the workshop. What is the objective of bringing the idea to fruition? What will it do? Keeping your purpose top-of-mind will help you drive your idea forward. Everything you do should be from the lens of your objective; let it guide you.

People

Pinpoint the target audience and then expand your inner circle. Who else needs to be involved in the process to drive the idea/project forward? Keep in mind: Who is the product or service for? Are you meeting all of their needs? Also, decide who the right people are on your team to carry out the necessary tasks to bring this idea to life. Who will be responsible for what? Make sure each person knows their role and hold the team accountable.

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Process

What systems and processes need to be in place to implement your idea and keep everyone involved on track? Start with your end result/goal and work your way backward–identify each step you need to take to reach this end result. Once the process is decided upon, make sure everyone on the team knows the ins-and-outs, what to expect, and what their roles are to carry them out successfully. 

Pro tip: build a roadmap, or a sequenced flow of things you’re going to do to achieve your outcome, to track your process. A kanban type tool like Trello is an effective way to move you forward in the process and make sure nothing falls through the cracks. 

Prep

Gather all of the information and supplies you need to carry out each step of the process. What tools will make completing tasks more efficient and effective? Collect all pieces of the puzzle before you start putting it together. 

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Practical Concerns

It’s important to identify any concerns you and your team have with the project. Voicing worries upfront allows the team to share their perspective and also gives you insight into potential problems. Practical concerns are specific constraints or problems for the idea itself. For example, if the product needs to be under a certain weight, or if it needs to cost less than $5. Once you have identified the concerns, come up with solutions to each of them. If one of the problems arises, you already have a way to solve it. 

Pitfalls

Similar to practical concerns, pitfalls are any obstacles that may arise and cause problems with moving the process forward. A pitfall is anything that might blow up in your face or assumptions that are common and might trip us the team. For example, a pitfall could be that your team has a tendency to keep changing their minds and starting over, which halts the process.

Product

Finally, identify the product, or the output–the tangible thing that must be created. In other words, think about the outcomes that you are driving to. How do you need to package things up for? What’s the narrative you need to tell? What other prototypes do you need to make to gather more insights and achieve your outcome? 

Use these 7 tips to get unstuck whenever you find yourself at a project stand-still. You have the power to not only bring your idea to life but to make it a success. 

For more inspiration on how to navigate the slumps check out, check out Beyond the Prototype the book.

The post The 7 P’s of Beyond the Prototype: Purpose, People, Process, Prep, Practical Concerns, Pitfalls, Product appeared first on Voltage Control.

In several ways, the virtual landscape has made meetings easier. For example, the removal of travel time–whether from a conference room to your office space or a flight across the country–opens up availability; we technically have more time to work when we’re confined to our home offices. And with a conference video chat just a click away, we can get meeting happy. Approach with caution: more meetings is not the answer to meaningful work. In fact, unproductive meetings are one of the biggest challenges of virtual teams. 

Don’t oversaturate your remote team with meetings for the sake of having them.

On the contrary, you should not have a meeting at all unless you have a clear purpose. You must first have an identified objective that you’re trying to obtain or else there is no tangible goal to work toward. The meeting by structure is therefore unproductive before it even begins. Frankly, there are far too many ineffective meetings and we’re on a mission to rid the world of them. A report by Forbes estimated companies will lose $102 billion annually to wasteful meetings in the United States alone. We can change the wasteful meeting dynamic with intentional focus and strategy. The new virtual landscape is an opportune time to adapt and adjust meeting structures to benefit virtual teams, and the same processes can be translated into in-person meetings. Let’s take a look at how we do that. 

Create a Prototype

We often use the mantra “No prototype, no meeting” at Voltage Control. This means if there is not a clear and tangible “prototype” or idea to flush out and explore, then there is no reason to have a meeting in the first place. 

What do we mean by prototype? Nowadays, prototypes can take various forms, and they depend on your objective. For a strategist or project manager, a “prototype” might be a storyboard, written brief, or sample pitch of the idea. A designer may make a mood board; a developer might quickly code something. Whatever prototype best fits your needs, create it, and then plan your meeting to present it and work through it with your team.

This type of structure sets your remote team up to do the work in the meeting, not after, which leads to maximum productivity and ultimately success. We’ve got things backward: we meet and then do “the work” after the meeting.

We’re so busy talking about the work we need to do when we could be rolling up our sleeves and getting to work in the session itself–enter your prototype.

A readied prototype allows your remote team to discuss it, collaborate, and collectively work on it DURING the meeting instead of saving the to-dos for when people disperse back to their own work zones. And when you do the work at the meeting, you eliminate unnecessary team meetups–saving everyone time, money, and sanity.

Tools for Virtual Prototypes

Here are three virtual tools to assist you in building, sharing, and working on prototypes with your remote team for more productive meetings. 

• Mural: A virtual whiteboard tool that allows you to build and share prototypes with remote team members. It also allows you to collaborate on digital Post-it notes and templates (you can also build your own). 

• Figma: Create vector design assets and remotely collaborate with team members, similar to how you collaborate on text in Google Docs.

• Loom: Share your prototype visually/in real-time. Make quick screen captures with a video inset to show your team your idea when you’re not in-person. This is an especially great tool to use for follow-up demos and instructions post-meeting as your team continues to work on the presented idea. When you would otherwise go to someone’s desk to show them how to do something, you can use a Loom video to demonstrate it. 

Practices for Successful Remote Meetings 

So you have your prototype. Now what? The following three practices, from our Virtual Work Guide, will help you structure and lead successful remote meetings. 

1. Schedule with purpose

Have a clear purpose to meet. This should inform your prototype and vice versa. Why do you want to bring your team together? Is it worth their time?

These questions are especially important to ask and answer with remote teams because people are working from home or another location and your meeting is competing against kids, food deliveries, spouses, background noise, etc.

Pro Tip: Address matters that aren’t worth scheduling a collective discussion for via email, Slack, or a newsletter. Remember, a productive meeting is one where you do work together. 

2. Create and distribute an agenda beforehand

Include only essential topics and the prototype you will share. Let people know what you have in mind so that they come prepared to participate–they may even come with ideas about the prototype. An important aspect of an agenda, especially for virtual meetings, is a realistic time table. What will be discussed, and for how long?

Be sure to leave some extra time at the beginning of the meeting to let people set up the appropriate tools they need to participate and for any “technical difficulties” that may arise. Also, allot time at the end of the meeting for people to ask questions about anything they are unsure about. This will make certain everyone leaves the meeting on the same page. Once your agenda is prepared, send it to all attendees in advance to ensure everyone is prepped and ready. This saves explaining time at the beginning of the meeting and your virtual team can dive in. 

3. Break the ice

An icebreaker or energizer warm-up is a great way to get the creative juices flowing at the start of the meeting. They can increase productivity from the jump. The bite-sized activities get people moving and thinking and keeps the energy high. Because your virtual team is not in the same physical space, you are unable to feel the energy of the room.

Consider the mood you want to encourage and pick your icebreaker accordingly. It should be quick, relatively simple, and straightforward. Here are a few examples:

• Guess the Shoes/Desk–have everyone (anonymously) upload a picture of their shoes or their home desk space in a MURAL template. Take turns guessing which pair of shoes/desk belongs to who.
• Creative Color–Choose a specific color and ask all staff meeting attendees to pick an object near them of that color and show it on screen. Knight the person with the coolest object the winner. The winner then chooses the next color and you repeat the process.
• Check out: Sessionlab Energizers and Icebreaker Games & Online Energizers and our Workshop Methods & Activities for more

Be intentional when you plan your next virtual meeting. Come prepared. Have a prototype. Lead your remote team to success. Let’s change the way the world experiences meetings. 

Looking for a Virtual Meeting Facilitator? We Can Help. 

Voltage Control facilitates remote design thinking workshops, innovation sessions, and Design Sprints. Please reach out at info@voltagecontrol.com for a consultation.

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At Voltage Control, we’ve done something that might be scandalous at other companies. We’ve made all meetings optional. If a team member doesn’t think they need to attend a meeting, they’re free to decline it. It’s a small gesture, but a reflection of our belief that many meetings just don’t need to happen. It leads to an increase in quick and direct conversations and, ultimately, to fewer meetings and more space and time for the things we want (and need) to do.

That’s because we’re on a personal mission to rid the world of shitty meetings. That’s something we can all rally around, correct? We all love to hate meetings, yet they keep popping up on our calendars and we keep accepting them. In January 2019, the meeting scheduling company Doodle released its The State of Meetings Report and estimated that “pointless meetings will cost companies $541 billion in 2019.” Wow.

I’m convinced this is why I see so many people energized and excited when they participate in a Design Sprints or innovation workshop: although you are technically “tied up” for five days, you are getting authentic work done. You’re making decisions. You’re progressing. You end the week with a touchable, tangible prototype. Things happened!

This is in stark contrast to people’s typical days. We’re calendar-bombed with tons of meetings that we don’t need to be in or have no context for. We show up without much attention to whether or not we can add value. Everyone ends up booked with back-to-back meetings, buffered only by a quick restroom break (whoops, now you’re late to your next meeting) and the time it takes to dial into your next phone call. When are you supposed to do the things you got assigned in your last meeting?

We’ve got things backward: we meet and then do “the work” after the meeting.

In a recent talk, I told the participants, “Do the real work in the meeting.” I felt everyone sit up in their chairs. It struck a chord. We’ve got things backward: we meet and then do “the work” after the meeting. We’re so busy talking about the work we need to do when we could be rolling up our sleeves and getting to work in the session itself.

Circular Conversations. Little Action.

What do meetings look like in your organization? Let’s talk about a couple of typical scenarios. Here’s the worst-case: Participants don’t know why you’re meeting. No one shows up with an agenda. Everyone starts talking haphazardly and conversations go in circles. No decisions get made. Everyone leaves the meeting with no idea about what happens next. Maybe they’re hoping someone else will take action.

“If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be ‘meetings.’”― Dave Barry

Now the best-case scenario, or maybe call it your standard, run-of-the-mill meeting: someone’s pulled together a meeting agenda and sent it out beforehand. You have a focused discussion. You conclude with a handful of action items and people have tasks they need to do after. But, even in this situation, I’ve seen the process go awry. Meetings aren’t always adequately documented. There’s misunderstanding after about the direction or next steps. People start working on items discussed in the meeting, but something gets lost in translation.

Let’s stop saving the work for when everyone disperses back to their desks.

Beyond an annoying 30 minutes in your day, what’s so bad about these scenarios? Work eventually gets done. It’s easier this way. We might be accustomed to it, but it’s not efficient, it’s not effective, and it’s certainly not an inspiring way to work. Let’s stop saving the work for when everyone disperses back to their desks. If you want to bring the spirit of innovation into your daily work, push yourself and others to start doing the work in the meeting. I think one of the best ways to do that is to bring a prototype to every meeting.

“The least productive people are usually the ones who are most in favor of holding meetings.”– Thomas Sowell, American writer and economist

No Prototype. No Meeting.

This concept of “no prototype, no meeting” isn’t new. At the design consultancy IDEO, they’ve long talked about something called “Boyle’s Law.” Named for Dennis Boyle — an IDEO engineer with over 50 patents — the law states that you should “Never attend a meeting without a prototype.” Allan Chochinov, Chair of the School of Visual Arts MFA Products of Design, also wrote about his hatred of meetings and even created a Chrome and Slack extension that automatically changes the word “meeting” to “review” when you try to book a meeting.

While the conversation about the importance of prototyping has been around for a while, I don’t think it’s taken deep root yet. There’s still a lot of room for the concept to spread in organizations and workplaces.

Scared of Prototyping?

Before we dig in further, I must talk about what I mean when I talk about prototypes. The term prototype can be daunting. Historically, prototypes were mock-ups of something physical — let’s say a new chair or piece of electronic hardware. Today, when we think about prototypes, we usually think of digital prototypes. With the explosion of prototyping tools, it’s incredibly easy to build true-to-life, clickable prototypes that give the look-and-feel of a digital interaction.

“If a picture is worth a thousand words, a prototype is worth a thousand meetings” — Tom & David Kelley

However, it can be much more “low fidelity” than that. Prototypes take many shapes and formats. While you can certainly push yourself to learn a prototyping platform like Sketch or Figma, you don’t have to. Use the skills you currently have to make your prototype. Leverage the tools that are most comfortable for you. If you’re a product manager, strategist, or writer, you might write a brief, draft a storyboard, or create a sample pitch deck about the project you’re working on. If you’re a developer, maybe you code something quickly to get a sense of how an interaction will work. If you’re a designer, you could bring a wireframe or mood board.

The takeaway is: prototypes don’t have to be complicated. They can be quite simple. Test whether your new, two-pound product is too heavy by asking customers to carry around a two-pound weight for a couple of hours. Want to know if 3 x 5 inches is the best size for your new smartphone? Cut out a 3 x 5 piece of wood and carry it around in your pocket to see how it feels. The important thing is to focus on the question you are trying to answer or what abstract concept you need to make more tangible.

Why We Resist and Why We Shouldn’t

Saying we should bring prototypes to meetings sounds excellent, but I know that it can be scary for some. We resist putting things down on paper. We’re reluctant to get our ideas out there. We’re afraid to be judged. We’re afraid someone will think we’re a fraud. It’s hard to take the first step and make your thoughts visible for critique. It requires you to feel safe sharing something that isn’t fully formed. If your workplace doesn’t encourage that type of vulnerability, this is a fantastic way for you to start demonstrating the type of behavior and attitudes you want others to mirror.

And, when you force yourself to push through that fear, I think you’ll find your worries don’t come true. When you show up with a prototype, most people are delighted rather than critical. Because now, there’s something to rally around, to build off of, to shape, to make even better. Mostly, people are just appreciative that you brought something to the table and put a stake in the ground.

Challenge Yourself

When you start focusing on doing work in the meeting, not after the meeting, a couple of things happen.

• First, your meetings aren’t so dull. They turn into working sessions, not slogs. There are concrete things to talk about. Everyone’s excited and engaged.
• Second, more gets done. The prototype pushes things along just enough to get the ball rolling. It drives momentum and action.
• Third, there’s more clarity about where you’re going and why. There’s something to reference.
• Lastly, I find this way of working is more inclusive. If everyone is encouraged to bring a prototype, everyone can have a voice. Plus, others can use your prototype to build and co-create, which means that the ideas with the most merit emerge.

So, if you want to start doing more work in the meeting and less meeting and then working, consider a “no prototype, no meeting” rule. Take baby steps and tell your team that you’re trying it for single meeting or for a week. Or, start the habit yourself and you’ll likely see it spread like wildfire through your team.

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In Richard Banfield’s book Enterprise Design Sprints, he talks about how Design Sprints have become “a trusted format for problem-solving at many large companies.” As the sprint’s popularity has increased, I’ve noticed that some organizations and consultancies are eager to tweak the Design Sprint process. Sometimes, that means running abbreviated or compressed sprints — trying to do the same thing in three or four days instead of the classic five.

The way that Jake Knapp originally outlined the Design Sprint process in Sprint is prescriptive and in the best way possible. It takes place over five days — a full work week. Each day has a particular set of activities; the methods walk you through gathering insights, problem framing, prototyping, and user testing.

So, why are people turning to shortened Design Sprints? Are three or four-day sprints a wise choice? Let’s explore the perceived benefits and downfalls of a quicker Design Sprint. Plus, I even got Jake’s take on three, four, and five-day sprints.

Spoiler alert: I’m a proponent of giving your Design Sprint the full five days.

The Allure of the 3 & 4 Day Design Sprint

Because everyone is hyper-busy these days, it’s unsurprising that companies want to run a Design Sprint in three or four days instead of five. It’s almost impossible to align calendars for a one-day workshop. Now you want five full days?! I get it. As a Design Sprint facilitator, people often come to me asking for a shorter format. It’s tempting— a shorter sprint may seem like a more realistic investment of time (and money). But, when you’re talking about Design Sprints, I don’t think it’s as simple as working faster and jamming more into every day.

When you’re talking about Design Sprints, I don’t think it’s as simple as working faster and jamming more into every day.

In a three or four-day Design Sprint, something has to drop off the agenda. Typically, this means that people skip prototyping or user testing. In my opinion, if you aren’t prototyping and testing, it’s NOT a Design Sprint. One of the most powerful aspects of the sprint is testing your ideas and assumptions through a prototype and hearing directly from your users. When you skip either of those steps, you cut out the moments that provide authentic direction, give voice to your users, and ensure that you’re not just navel-gazing.

“I always try to run five-day sprints because the ideas are deeper. Four days or less feel rushed and have less opportunities to uncover the boldest and most innovative ideas.” —Steph Cruchon, Design Sprint LTD.

When clients approach me about running a shorter sprint, I typically suspect a couple of issues could be at play. First, it indicates that they might not have a big enough problem in mind for their Design Sprint. If a challenge is large enough, the budget for a five-day Sprint should be there. It’s that important. Secondly, it tells me that they might not have total buy-in that this is an effective process or way of working. They’re hesitant to go all-in because they think it might not “work.”

Finally, the desire for a short sprint sometimes indicates that the organization isn’t planning on including a diverse team in the process. I’ve seen three and four-day formats based on the idea that the design team will build the prototype while the internal team is working on the rest. To drive ownership and buy-in, you have to involve everyone and keep them engaged. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a team simply pushing someone else’s work.

Is It Really Only Three or Four Days?

Another thing to be aware of with consultants or companies that promise and sell three or four-day sprints: it actually ends up being up to eight days of work. That’s because they shift some of the activities to take place before the sprint (i.e. a problem framing workshop ahead of the sprint) or they take care of some of the heavy-lifting—like prototyping—behind-the-scenes. Additionally, they might ask you to run a second, shorter sprint the week after the first sprint.

There’s not anything inherently wrong with these modes of tweaking the sprint. But, at Voltage Control, I like to focus on skill-building and transformation through the sprint process. If we take on some of the activities or “burdens,” instead of insisting that our clients do them, I think something fundamental is lost. By fully participating in the sprint from soup to nuts, our clients understand the process deeply and get the most out of the week. Next time, they might not even need our help.

The Many Benefits of a 5-Day Design Sprint

I understand why the full 5-day Design Sprint is a harder sell. There are complex schedules to coordinate and clear. A team is missing their day job for an entire workweek. There’s significant upfront work to gather your data and research. You might rent an offsite space to hold the sprint. You might need a professional facilitator. It’s challenging. However, I believe it’s worth it to push through the logistics and fear of the time investment.

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The Design Sprint was first perfected at Google, over time and with different teams and scenarios. In short, it works. Every ingredient is there for a reason.

First, the five-day Design Sprint is a well-designed, tried-and-true process. It was initially perfected at Google, over time, and with different teams and scenarios. In short, it works. Every ingredient is there for a reason.

As you might expect, when I asked Jake Knapp about his feelings on the five-day sprint, he’s still a proponent: “Five days is the most robust. I believe I can deal with anything that comes up in a five-day design sprint. Even without pre-work, I know we’ll learn something valuable by Friday.”

Second, the five-day sprint provides adequate time for two of the most critical aspects of the week. There is a full day for prototyping and a full day for user testing. (And, trust me, this will still feel rushed.) These activities are likely the ones your team needs most. Rapid prototyping is an important skill, but one that not many companies utilize often. Similarly, many companies talk to users, but not enough as they should.

“I see the Sprint like an iceberg. A lot of the magic happens below sea-level, e.g. the organizing that goes into setting up a Sprint for success both prior and post. It isn’t a silver bullet that means you are ready to launch. It is an exercise designed for learning and mitigating risk from product/service development.” —Dan Levy, More Space for Light

Lastly, it’s about flexibility. The five-day schedule leaves enough room for the unexpected to emerge, or for things to shift and tweak. The first two days are somewhat loose, but they are vital for opening up conversations and spurring the thinking that needs to happen within the group. When you cut off one or two days from your sprint, there’s a lot less time to change course or dig into something surprising.

Shorter Sprints Can Work…IF

While I’m pushing hard for companies to take the leap and invest in a five-day Design Sprint, it doesn’t mean there aren’t exceptions. In my new book, Beyond the Prototype, I share a story about The Home Depot. They’ve developed a practice of three-day sprints. “We’ve adapted the traditional five-day Sprint to work more efficiently inside Home Depot’s culture,” Eugene du Plessis, Senior UX designer said. “Getting everybody in a room for five days is close to impossible.”

However, I believe that they can run shortened sprints successfully because they’ve customized slowly, and only after mastering the sprint practices as designed. Brooke Creef, UX Manager at The Home Depot, shared: “What has gotten us so much success is that we customize slowly. We were very firm in staying as tried and true…and not as flexible with agendas until we matured.”

“What has gotten us so much success is that we customize slowly. We were very firm in staying as tried and true…and not as flexible with agendas until we matured.”—Brooke Creef, UX Manager, The Home Depot

Similarly, Google runs Design Sprints of different lengths and flavors. And, like The Home Depot, I would argue that Google has “earned” the right to play with the model. They’re working from a strong foundation and are a highly-mature organization in terms of design and innovation.

Jake shared his thoughts on three-day Sprints, and Google’s in particular: “Three days is super intense, and I wouldn’t sign up for it myself. If you look at Google’s three-day Design Sprint, keep in mind they have lots of designers and researchers, many existing products to pull design patterns from, and they have material design. They’ve spent many years specializing in the Design Sprint for Google. But if you’re not at Google, be careful and consider all the resources and trade-offs required to make a three-day Design Sprint work.”

He also shares my feeling that four-day sprints might be doable, especially if the team has more experience: “I find four days works best if the facilitator is really experienced, or if the team has Design Sprint experience. Pre-work becomes really important.”

“I find four days works best if the facilitator is really experienced or if the team has Design Sprint experience.” —Jake Knapp

Conclusion: The 5-day Design Sprint is your best bet in most cases.

Design Sprints can be a path to transformative organizational change. But, there is no shortcut to outcomes. If you’re new to Design Sprints, I strongly recommend starting with a five-day sprint. It ensures that you hit all the critical activities. It also gives you the momentum and focus to continue what you’ve started after the sprint. (BTW, that’s what my book is all about — avoiding the post-sprint slump and how to transition from ideas to outcomes.)

Design Sprints can be a path to transformative organizational change. But, there is no shortcut to outcomes.

Don’t short change yourself or your team. Invest in a five-day Design Sprint. Ideally, at the end of your five days, a light bulb will go off, and you’ll realize that you can work in this style any day of the year.

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This is part of my workshop recipe series where I’ll be sharing methods from the Design Sprint. This recipe first appeared in Google’s Design Sprint Kit.

When you are running a Design Sprint, prototyping is the major focus of the second half of your week. It’s fast and furious, which means that having a solid plan and approach to creating your prototype is necessary. Whether you are creating a prototype for a sprint or another reason, this guide is here to help.

Follow the methods below to stay organized as you build a digital prototype quickly and effectively. What is unique about this approach is that it allows various makers to contribute to a digital prototype in parallel, which helps you build deeper and more involved prototypes.

How to Create a Rapid Prototype…

Read on for my collaborative approach to building a digital prototype.

1. Create a storyboard

60–90 mins

Storyboarding is an essential aspect of prototyping. A good storyboard gives the team a shared understanding of exactly what to prototype. It spells out the essential moments in concrete detail to guide the team during prototyping. The design sprint facilitator is vital to helping the team consider how those moments fit into the flow of the experience that will be tested.

Method

1. Draw a grid on a whiteboard using an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper to create consistent cells.
2. Have each team member write down 7 action steps that people will encounter during the test.
3. Review and vote on the best flow that meets the goal and questions of the Design Sprint.
4. Move the top voted flow into the storyboard grid to serve as the foundation of the prototype.
5. Using sketches from team members, move the post-its that align with the voted action steps into the corresponding cells.
6. Use dry erase markers to add additional detail to the storyboard where team members identify gaps or missing elements.

2. Create a Kanban board

30 mins

Use a Kanban board during prototyping so you have a visual overview of all tasks and who is responsible. Typically, this is a physical Kanban made on the whiteboard. The Stitcher (the Design Sprint “scrum master”) uses this tool to make sure everything is moving along and who to ask for an asset.

Benefits

1. Keeps everyone up-to-speed on jobs that are in progress and what need to be done.
2. Team members can self-select tasks that still need to be done.
3. Participants can request support from team members that recently completed jobs.

Method Steps

1. Create three columns: To Do, Doing, Done.
2. Use Post-its to capture job task descriptions and place them in the To Do column.
3. Sort the jobs by priority, which the highest priority jobs at the top.
4. Assign each task to a team member, by writing their initials on the Post-it
5. When a team member starts a task they will move the card to “in progress”
6. Once the task is completed, the team member moves the Post-it to the done column.
7. Have the stitcher monitor progress of the Kanban board and encourage team members to support one another

3. Narrate the Storyboard

20 mins

In a design sprint, the Facilitator begins the prototyping day by narrating the storyboard, while the team listens and follows along. Use Expo markers and Post-its to capture jobs needed. (Remember: this is not a playback. Do not redesign the storyboard or introduce new ideas.)

Benefits

1. Recap progress quickly.
2. Capture points of interest from the team.
3. Build alignment on prototype expectations.
4. Generate additional jobs that need to be completed for the prototype.

Method Steps

1. Quickly recap progress to date by reading the storyboard from the perspective of an interview subject.
2. Simultaneously, the team takes individual notes to remind themselves of tasks that need to be completed.
3. After the recap, the facilitator or stitcher captures additional jobs to add to the Kanban board.

4. Enable Instant Collaboration with Mural

We’ve started using the digital whiteboard tool Mural to organize the team and asset creation while making a prototype. This provides a structured collaboration format for teams to store work in a shared repository. We also like that it allows the prototype makers to access copy and content to implement in the prototype.

Here’s a link to a Mural space we’ve made for organizing assets during prototyping.

Benefits

1. Eliminate the need to ask, “Did you update that?” or “Can you share that with me when you finish?”
2. Keep communication quick and asynchronous.
3. Transparent communication and asset storage are readily available after the sprint.

Method Steps

1. Translate the jobs to Mural or Google Docs as a Kanban board.
2. Create sections for each screen of the prototype.
3. Team members place assets into the appropriate section.
4. The stitcher gathers and organizes all assets to make sure the board is accurate and ready for the makers to pull from.
5. Prototype makers copy and paste assets into the prototype.
6. Comment and annotate to communicate on edits or any additional content needed.

5. Prototyping with Version Control

30 mins

This step-by-step tutorial covers a process for creating a prototype using Abstract, Sketch, Craft, and Invision. It’s a structured approach to keep the prototypes flexible, organized, and easy for the team to maintain.

Benefits

1. Prototyping with multiple makers and contributors.
2. Version control and history prevents lost or repeated work.
3. Rapid file sharing using new tools and streamlined workflow
4. Cloud-based collaboration connects to existing tools in an experienced designer’s workflow.

Method Steps

1. Download and Install Abstract, Sketch, Craft, and Invision.
2. Create a New project in Abstract.
3. Use Abstract to create a Sketch file which will automatically track all edits and revisions when the project is synced to the cloud.
4. Draw or insert screens for the prototype in Sketch and save the edits.
5. Draw hotspots in Sketch, and use the linking features in Craft to connect interactions and animations.
6. Preview & Commit the edits to Abstract.
7. Summarize the changes using brief but descriptive statements for other makers to reference.
8. Sync the Sketch file to Invision using the Craft plugin.
9. Create new branches in Abstract for each designer or maker working on the prototype.
10. Delegate work based on the storyboard and Kanban jobs that focus on separate screens of the prototype.
11. In the case of conflicting changes, use Abstract to resolve conflicts to preserve the most recent corrections.
12. Check that your Abstract file is up to date with the most recent Commits to the project.
13. Repeat Sketch edits, update the hotspots using Craft, sync to InVision, Preview and Commit to Abstract.

6. Prototype playback

15 mins

In this step, the interview moderator clicks through the prototype and reviews each screen. He or she talks about the related tasks and identifies revisions needed. The Stitcher captures the revisions and is responsible for delegating tasks to complete prototype updates.

Benefits

1. Keep the user’s path top of mind to eliminate unnecessary work.
2. Identify gaps or missing elements that are necessary to create a high fidelity experience.
3. Orient the team around successes throughout the day to keep the energy high.
4. Share the results with stakeholders to keep them informed about progress throughout the day.

Method Steps

1. Spend no longer than 1–3 minutes narrating the prototype from the perspective of the user.
2. Share the key tasks and questions that the interview subject will be asked.
3. Add any errors or changes as jobs on the Kanban board.
4. Talk about the wrap-up and debrief questions.

Resourceses

We’ve created interactive and free resources to help you build prototypes and accelerate your innovation process with your team. Check them out:

• Start Within Templates for MURAL – Based off of the book Start Within, we have constructed a framework of templates to help you assess your individual situation, how it relates to the unique nature of your company, and what tools and actions are appropriate for you to move forward.
• Beyond the Prototype templates for MURAL and Miro – break blockages that keep you from innovation by going beyond the prototype.

The post How to Create a Collaborative, Rapid Prototype appeared first on Voltage Control.

Design sprints are one of the innovation hot topics of the moment, right up there with design thinking. (Unsurprisingly, the two ideas go hand-in-hand.) So, what is a design sprint and why is it so popular right now? It sounds a bit intense, but the good news is that a design sprint requires no actual running.

Design sprints are a highly effective, even fun, method for approaching a problem or key project. As the word sprint indicates, they’re about getting results fast. Read on to find out what design sprints are and why organizations of all kinds are jumping on board.

What is a Design Sprint?

A design sprint is a focused, five-day process to quickly gather insights on your users, prototype ideas, and validate them. The method originated at Google Ventures and, as they describe it: “it’s a ‘greatest hits’ of business strategy, innovation, behavior science, design thinking, and more — packaged into a battle-tested process that any team can use.”

The process was also described in the book Sprint by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky. (We highly recommend reading this book if you want to run a sprint on your own.)

What’s great about the design sprint is that it is a tried-and-true formula. If you follow the agenda for each day, you will have a productive week.

What’s great about the design sprint is that it is a tried-and-true formula. If you follow the agenda for each day, you will have a productive week. Over five days, a small group focuses on a business challenge, uncovers actionable insights, and prototypes and tests a possible solution.

Who’s doing design sprints?
Companies of all shapes and sizes are using the design sprint method and having great success. Google Ventures has run over 150 sprints with companies like Slack, Flatiron Health, and Blue Bottle Coffee. There are also Design Sprint Agencies, like our own, that design and facilitate Design Sprints.

The top reasons design sprints are so popular right now:

1. Results in 5 Days

Everyone is busier than ever at work, and many of us juggle multiple projects in our jobs. In this work climate, it might seem crazy to think that your team can set aside five days for a design sprint. But, if you do, you’ll find that the “lost time” actually leads to leaps in productivity and innovation.

If you have projects that are lingering or taking months to get off the ground, the compressed time period of the sprint can inject tons of needed energy and momentum.

When teams go “heads-down” on a sprint, you achieve at least a month’s worth of work in five days.

We’ve found that when teams go “heads-down” on a sprint, you achieve at least a month’s worth of work in five days. You’ll be amazed at what you have by the Friday of your sprint. It may lead to a true breakthrough or innovation, or at the very least, sprints are excellent moments for team connection and alignment.

2. Hear from Your Customers

Many companies talk about being customer-centric, but at the same time, many companies don’t set aside the time to really talk to their customers. Especially face-to-face. This is another great thing about design sprints: getting customer feedback is baked into the process.

All of the activities in the design sprint lead up to sharing a prototype with potential customers or users and getting feedback. Typically, on the Friday of a Design Sprint week, you interview five users and get their input on your potential product or solution.

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Just as the sprint is very effective in five days, you also get rich and meaningful insights from interviews with “just” five users.

3. Design Sprints Teach New Ways of Working

Another benefit of design sprints is that they teach your team new ways of working on problems or approaching challenges. Today, many organizations are investing in design thinking training, which is undeniably important. But, the power of design sprints is that participants learn through doing. You don’t need to tell people how to design think, you can have them actually do it through a design sprint.

The power of design sprints is that participants learn through doing. You don’t need to tell people how to design think, you can have them actually do it through a design sprint.

After a five day sprint, your team will have hands-on experience with finding insights on your company, looking for outside inspiration, coming up with solutions, prototyping ideas, and interviewing customers. These are important skills for anyone to take back to their day job.

4. The Power of the Prototype

Just as user testing is essential to the design sprint, so is prototyping. Prototyping is another skill and asset that most companies are looking to leverage right now.

Through a design sprint, you will see first-hand how prototyping gets you to better solutions faster.

Through the design sprint process, teams prototype a solution. But, don’t let this deter or overwhelm you. Prototypes don’t need to be fancy or technical seo. It may be a clickable prototype made with something like Sketch, Invision or Framer, but your prototype can also be as simple as a landing page, a paper sketch or simple wireframe.

Through a design sprint, you will see first-hand how prototyping gets you to better solutions faster.

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5. Design Sprints are Flexible

Another reason we love design sprints is that they are flexible. We’ve been talking a lot about the classic five-day design sprint, but they don’t have to take a full work week.

Ideally, you have five days to set aside, but we understand that that is not always possible. You can expand or contract the design sprint to the time you have. For example, we ran a four-day sprint with the delivery service Favor and it was highly successful. Or, there are ways to spread a design sprint over several weeks or to use some of the techniques in a two-hour meeting.

In other words, don’t let time stand in your way. Most design sprint facilitators or consultants will work with you to design something that works with the time you have.

You Don’t Have to Design Sprint Alone

If you want to run a design sprint at your company but are overwhelmed at the idea of planning and facilitating it, you’re in the right place. Voltage Control designs and leads design sprints for companies large and small.

Having a professional facilitator run your sprint ensures that you can focus on the ideas and the work, not the logistics or “doing it right.” Reach out to us at hello@voltagecontrol.com if you want to talk about running a design sprint at your company.

The post What is a Design Sprint and Why is Everyone Talking About It? appeared first on Voltage Control.

Product design, also known as industrial design, got its start in the 1900s. As production ramped up with new inventions like cars and household appliances, brands realized the importance of design and its connection to customer loyalty.

Flash forward, industrial design is all around us, so it’s easy to forget that it is a relatively new practice. Today, companies have many options when they want help and expertise in product design. Hiring a product design agency is a great way to start building things customers truly love.

What should you know before choosing the best design agency for your needs? We’ve got the answers right here. Keep reading so you can make the best decision for your business.

What is a Product Designer?

Wikipedia defines product design as the method “to create a new product to be sold by a business to its customers.” Product design is all about finding customer pain points and figuring out ways to solve them. Product designers look for opportunities to make products that fill a need other products don’t.

After they’ve targeted the exact pain points their design will address, they figure out how to make the best product for the purpose. Then, they create the product, and test and refine it until it’s ready to hit the market.

Product designers are in charge of much more than just appearance or packaging. They direct the entire innovation process from start to finish. The best designers focus on the end user, not the product itself. It’s easy to design a product that sounds great, but never sells. But it’s far more useful to design a product with a specific audience in mind, so you know it serves an authentic need.

How to Choose a Product Design Agency

The top agencies use design thinking, which means focusing on the end user first. Good designers need to marry people’s needs with creative innovation to create products that users can’t live without.

Look for an agency that’s creative — you want outside-the-box thinkers. But make sure that creativity comes with business know-how, too. Understanding basic marketing and what makes a business succeed are important qualities in an agency as well.

Great designers also harness the power of modern technology. While the right solution isn’t always the most “techy,” designers should know about cutting-edge industry technology and how to put it to work.

How Product Design Companies Work

What does a typical day at a product design agency look like? It varies depending on what stage of the design process they’re in. Here are the typical phases of work that designers step through to create marketable products.

1. Research

The design phase starts with research. At this point, your product design agency will dive deep into understanding potential users of their product. They’ll look at the competitors to see what their products are lacking.

The better a design agency understands the audience, the better they can design for that audience. This phase may take the longest, because it’s the most important.

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2. Target

Through the research process, the agency decides which pain points to target. Pain points are particular problems experienced by the audience. For example, one pain point consumers used to have was lacking time to go grocery shopping. Some brands addressed that pain point by launching grocery delivery services. Before moving into design, your agency should be able to articulate the specific customer challenges this product will answer.

3. Design

The “design” part is actually just one step of a product designer’s job. After the pain points have been identified, it’s time to design a product that will solve them. This process is creative, and different people or agencies may use all kinds of different methods here. Typically, designers brainstorm, sketch, and wire-frame here to envision a new end-to-end experience for the product.

4. Prototype

When the design agency has landed on the right direction for the new product, they’ll start by building a prototype. Prototypes can be as simple as a sketch that illustrates a product feature; they can also be as real as a clickable prototype that users can actually interact with. There are many great software platforms available today for prototyping, like InVision and Framer. The prototype is essential, because it allows you to get feedback with real users before building the final product.

5. Test

The prototype gets tested with users who match the target audience for the product. In these tests, the design agency can learn about any flaws the product has or improvements that could be made. You can get actionable insights about your product from just a handful of solid user interviews.

6. Refinement

The product gets revamped to address issues that came up during testing. This can involve heavy re-design or just a few tweaks.

7. Launch & Analysis

Now, it’s time to release the product to the world. The aim is for a launch that is efficient and bug-free. After launch, the top product design companies move into analysis mode. Once the product is in the hands of the public, they can’t just sit back and relax. They want to analyze the success of the product. If it didn’t effectively meet users’ needs, this is a time to figure out what went wrong. If the product did work well, the agency can use that information to make the next iteration even better.

Ready to Hire a Product Design Agency?

If you want to create products that people can’t live without, you need a great product design agency on your side. Don’t have the product design know-how and tools in house? Innovation workshops with Voltage Control can help. Learn more about our innovation workshops and other services here.

The post Hiring a Product Design Agency: What You Need to Know appeared first on Voltage Control.

Previously, I wrote about how our team at Voltage Control has evolved the role of the Stitcher in our Design Sprints. The Stitcher 2.0 acts like the “scrum master” for the prototype created during the sprint. They make sure that tasks are moving along and that all assets are organized in a way that is easy for the makers to pull into the prototype.

We’ve created a custom Mural template that helps the Stitcher work alongside the team to organize and gather the Design Sprint assets during prototyping.

This approach unleashes the entire Design Sprint team and supports everyone contributing in an efficient and productive manner. It is especially helpful if you are bringing in extra help on prototyping day as it allows them to get up to speed and begin contributing quickly. In fact, we recommend using this approach whenever you are prototyping with numerous people and need results in a short amount of time.

To support the Stitcher, we’ve created a custom Mural template that helps them organize and gather the assets in one spot. (If you haven’t used Mural yet, it’s a collaborative virtual white board tool and we find it invaluable during sprints.)

Access our template here and read below to learn how we use our Mural.

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Setting up the Mural

1. Open the Mural template.
2. Click the “Create mural from template” button to make your own copy.
3. Unlock storyboard grid. Right click and select “Unlock All”
4. Expand the storyboard grid to include all cells if you have more than 6 rows or 8 columns in your story board.
5. Lock the storyboard grid. Select all elements then right click and select “Lock.”
6. Add your To-Dos. Create a new post-it in the To-Do column of the Kanban for each To-Do. Pro-Tip: To-Dos should reference cell numbers. i.e. A1: Hero copy.
7. Assign To-Dos to team members. Use specific color for each team member or type in team member name on each post-it. Allow the team members to volunteer for jobs they are most interested in.
8. Invite your team to the mural. Click the share button and enter in each Sprint team member. Make sure to give them edit privileges.

Using the Mural

1. Find the post-it in the To-Do column for your first task. It should be in your color or have your name on it.
2. Move that post-it to “In progress.”
3. Complete your task.
4. Add completed copy to a new post-it and attach it to the appropriate storyboard grid cell.
5. Upload assets (images/icons/video) to the appropriate storyboard grid cell. Pro Tip: Do not scale down assets because it may cause loss of fidelity when the Stitcher adds it to the prototype.
6. Move your task post-it to “Done.”
7. The Stitcher will collect and assemble official copy and mark it approved by setting the color of the post-it to green.
8. The Prototyper pulls in all approved copy and assets.
9. Upload screenshots of screens that are ready for feedback.
10. Team will place Mural comments directly onto the screenshots.
11. Once the screens are linked together and ready for playback, add the prototype link to Mural for easy access by the team.
12. Playback the prototype for the team.
13. Capture new tasks by adding new post-its in the To-Do column.
14. Add comments on the screenshots for revisions or using your prototyping tools comments.
15. Repeat steps as needed.

I hope you find our Mural template helpful during your next Design Sprint or rapid prototyping session. Get it here and let us know how you like it. Happy sprinting!

The post How to Use Mural to Support Your Design Sprint Stitcher appeared first on Voltage Control.

The digital product design space is constantly evolving, so our team of designers is continuously testing new tools and approaches. Voltage Control is a proponent of dynamic collaboration because it enables our sprint teams to arrive at a prototype faster with less miscommunication along the way. During a Design Sprint, a collaborative five day design process, we work closely with our Sprintmates.

Most designers and developers can readily share frustrating stories about the painful side effects of relying on arbitrary file naming schemes or other brittle processes for organizing files when working with others. While there is no “one size fits all” approach to working on a prototype as a group, we’ve developed an approach that works well and have decided to share it with you.

I will begin with an overview of four tools we are currently using to build prototypes and finish with step-by-step instructions on how we make prototypes at Voltage Control.

Abstract

Abstract is a powerful tool for versioning and sharing Sketch files with your entire project team. In recent Design Sprints, Abstract has become our hub for file management when working with multiple designers, copywriters, and other contributors. With Abstract, we no longer lose versions of files or accidentally overwrite previous work. Abstract is a breeze to pick up even if you are unfamiliar with version control. If version control is a new concept to you, we highly recommend you first check out this overview of Git and Gitflow by Atlassian. When working alone, making changes linearly is fine, but when collaborating with multiple team members, a version control process like Gitflow drastically improves the pace of your work and reduces duplicated efforts and rework.

Everyone dislikes redoing something that was overwritten or realizing that you’ve duplicated something someone else has already worked on. With Abstract, you can directly synchronize your Sketch files with other team members, make comments on files, and communicate design specifications all in the same workspace. During a recent Voltage Control Design Sprint, our team had two designers and a copywriter working on the same prototype. All three of us were working on files that were directly connected using Abstract. The copywriter was able to add comments and update copy dynamically, while each designer was syncing work as they completed each screen. I really liked the direction that our teammate Ben was taking on a list structure, and I was able to use that as inspiration for other elements of the app. Simultaneously, I could respond to the copywriter’s direction. This would not have happened without the real-time capabilities of Abstract.

Sketch + Craft Plugin

Sketch is the leading digital product design tool available on the market today. Most designers are already familiar with Sketch, and it is the tool of choice for most software interface designs. If you have never used Sketch, download the free trial and check it out. While I won’t spend much time explaining how Sketch works, I can say it is very easy to learn and you can find additional resources here. In this tutorial, we will cover how to connect the Craft Manager to create interactive hotspots and sync your project to an InVision prototype.

The Craft plugin is one of the best tools available to improve your prototyping with Sketch. While Sketch offers Sketch Cloud and other prototyping tools, these tools do not provide the same level of collaboration and ease of use as the Craft plugin. Using Craft in our workflow, we no longer need to separate the stitching of the prototype and the generation of screens into two separate tasks to be completed in separate programs.

Invision

Invision is a tool that allows you to upload a set of still images and connect them together via clickable hotspots. By assembling this interconnected set of images, you can create the illusion of a functioning product. Invision also has a set features that help designers create more realistic prototypes such as additional transitions, mobile phone frames, etc. Teams working on a portfolio of prototypes can easily manage shared links.

Using a shareable link and a password, every member of the sprint can stay up to date on the progress of the prototype while it is being created. Members of the team can add comments and feedback to document to-dos, tweaks, and other desired changes.

Voltage Control uses Abstract, Sketch, Craft, and Invision as its prototyping toolkit to provide the best collaboration experience available. We are constantly tweaking and evolving our process and toolchain. We’ll let you know as we find new and exciting tools.

Step-by-Step

This step-by-step tutorial covers a process for creating a prototype using these tools. This workflow is structured to keep the prototype flexible, organized, and easy for the team to maintain. First, let’s do a little bit of preparation to set up our prototyping environment.

0.0 Set up the prototyping environment.

0.1 Sign up for an Abstract account and Download Abstract.

0.2 Download Sketch here.

0.3 Download and Install Craft Manager.

0.4 Create an InVision account here.

After you’ve completed these four steps, we are going to make a simple three-page app with buttons that will transition us between the pages. It will look like this at the end.

1.0 Let’s get started with Abstract

Abstract is the hub of projects where we can access all of our prototypes as well as previous versions of our prototypes.

1.1 Once downloaded and installed, launch Abstract.

1.2 You will be prompted to sign in or create an account.

If you have not already signed up, select “Create an account” to be taken to the Abstract website. Otherwise, sign in, and continue.

After you verify your email and complete signup. Close your web browser to return to the Abstract desktop app.

1.3 Click on the “New Project” button in the top right of the window to create a project.

1.4 Name the project “Hello Rapid Prototyping”.

1.5 Add a description: “A sandbox to explore collaborative prototyping tools.”

1.6 Set the custom hex value to #000000

1.7 Leave “Make private project” unchecked.

1.8 Select “Create Project”.

2.0 Use Abstract to create a Sketch File

Abstract will track changes to our Sketch files so that we never lose work and can collaborate by syncing the files across our team.

2.1 Select the grey “Create Sketch File” button in the middle of your screen.

2.2 Name your Sketch file “My First Prototype”.

2.3 Leave “Use as Library” disabled.

If enabled, symbols within this file can be used in other Abstract projects.

2.4 Next, select “Edit in Sketch” in the top right of your Abstract project window to open your file.

2.5 You will be prompted to open untracked or create a new branch. We want Abstract to track our changes, so select “Create a Branch”.

2.6 Name the branch, “Getting Started”.

2.7 Select “Create Branch”.

The modal will close. Abstract will generate the branch and automatically launch Sketch.

3.0 Draw artboards for our screens.

Artboards represent screens in Sketch. We can easily create the screens of our prototype with Sketch’s default features.

3.1 Click Insert from the toolbar at the top left of the window.

3.2 Select Artboard from the dropdown that appears.

3.3 Choose iPhoneX from the Inspector panel on the right of the window.

3.4 Select the iPhoneX artboard by clicking the name above the artboard. Press ⌘+C to copy the artboard and then ⌘+V to paste a new artboard.

3.5 Double click the first artboard from the Layers List on the left of the window to name it, “Page 1” and then name the second, “Page 2”.

3.6 Select both the artboards by holding shift, and click their names which appear at the top left inside of the Canvas.

3.7 Change the active Background Color to white by clicking on the white square in the Inspector to the right of your screen.

4.0 Add a button to “Page 1” with a call-to-action.

We are going to add buttons that users can tap on to interact with our prototype.

4.1 Press “R” on the keyboard to activate the Rectangle Tool.

4.2 Draw a rectangle 330px wide and 70px tall.

4.3 Click on the color swatch in the Inspector and change the fill to black.

4.4 Click the plus sign next to the Shadows item to add a shadow.

4.5 Change the Y position to 8.

4.6 Change Blur to 14.

4.7 Change Spread to -8.

4.8 Next, press T to activate the text tool.

4.9 Drag a rectangle over your button and add the text “View Page 2”. Change the properties of the rectangle using the Inspector on the right.

4.10 Typeface: Arial Black

4.11 Weight: Regular

4.12 Size: 24

4.13 Color: White

4.14 Press shift and select both the text and the button.

4.15 Use the center align icon in the top right of the inspector to center align the two elements.

4.16 Press ⌘+G to group them, and then double click the Group 1 layer name from the Layer List and change this to “Button 1”.

5.0 Preview and Commit changes

Commit changes to Abstract early and often to track your work. It is helpful to remind yourself to commit each time you change screens that you are working on.

5.1 Save the Sketch file by pressing ⌘+S

5.2 Click on the “Preview & Commit” in the Abstract toolbar at the bottom of the Canvas.

5.3 Write the “Summary of the changes” that describes the work you are committing. Examples: “Add prototype links for onboarding” or “Update user tutorial artboards.”

5.4 Summarize the commit by typing “Add button to Page 1”.

5.5 Click the blue “Commit changes” button in the bottom right of the modal.

5.6 Abstract will save the commit and sync to other collaborators who may be working on the project at the same time.

5.7 Wait for the grey spinner in the top left of the abstract window to change from “Syncing” to “Up-to-date”.

5.8 Click “Edit in sketch” in the top right of your abstract project window to switch back to the Sketch file.

6.0 Add headers to the artboards

We’ll differentiate the pages of our prototype so that we can easily see the path a user should take.

6.1 Press T to activate the text tool.

6.2 Drag a 335px by 100px at X:20, Y:86 on the Page 1 artboard.

6.3 Text “Page 1”

6.4 Typeface: Arial Black

6.5 Weight: Regular

6.6 Size: 72

6.7 Color: Black

6.8 Click the text and copy it to the clipboard by pressing ⌘+C

6.9 Select the Page 2 artboard and press ⌘+V

6.10 Change the text to say “Page 2”

6.11 Deselect the text, Press T to activate the text tool again.

6.12 Drag a 335px by 240px at X:23, Y:286 on the Page 2 artboard.

6.13 Type “+” on the keyboard.

6.14 Under Alignment in the Inspector select the middle align button to center the text vertically within the text box.

6.15 Typeface: Arial Black

6.16 Weight: Regular

6.17 Size: 172

6.18 Color: Black

7.0 Preview and Commit changes

Commit changes to Abstract early and often to track your work. It is helpful to remind yourself to commit each time you change screens that you are working on.

7.1 Save the Sketch file by pressing ⌘+S

7.2 Click on the “Preview and Commit” in the Abstract toolbar at the bottom of the screen.

7.3 Summarize the commit by typing “Add header text”

7.4 Select the blue “Commit changes” button in the bottom right of the modal.

7.5 Abstract will save the commit and sync to other collaborators who may be working on the project at the same time.

7.6 Wait for the grey spinner in the top left to change from “Syncing” to “Up-to-date”.

8.0 Create new branches

Branches allow designers to work on the same file without overwriting each others work. We no longer have to send files via Google Drive.

8.1 Click new branch in the top right of the Abstract project window and name it “Designer 1”.

8.2 Select Edit in Sketch to launch the Sketch file on the new branch. Abstract will close your other Sketch file.

8.3 Notice the Abstract toolbar at the bottom of your Canvas reflects that you are on the new “Designer 1” branch.

8.4 Double click the + text on Page 2 and change it to a “-” sign.

8.5 Select Preview & Commit.

8.6 Name the commit “Add – sign”.

8.7 Commit the changes.

9.0 Conflicting changes

Abstract handles conflicting design changes at an artboard level. We’re going to simulate another designer making conflicting changes.

9.1 Select the Getting Started branch on the left.

9.2 Click new branch in the top right and name it Designer 2.

9.3 Sketch will close your previous Sketch window and open the Designer 2 branch.

9.4 Notice the changes from the Designer 1 branch are not present.

9.5 Notice the Abstract toolbar at the bottom of your Canvas reflects that you are on the new Designer 2 branch.

9.6 Copy the + sign and paste it, then change the y position value to 586.

9.7 Change the copy to be a “-” so now we have both a + and – sign on Page 2.

10.0 Preview and Commit to commit the change

Commit changes to Abstract early and often to track your work. It is helpful to remind yourself to commit each time you change screens that you are working on.

10.1 Name the commit “Add – sign” and commit the changes.

10.2 Now select the Designer 2 branch under Getting started in your abstract window.

10.3 Select Merge Branch in the top right.

10.4 Abstract will sync Designer 2’s changes with the Master file and then alert other team members to sync.

10.5 Now, select the Designer 1 branch.

10.6 The Merge Branch button now displays “Update from parent” because there are new commits that you have not synced.

10.7 Click the “Update from parent button”.

10.8 Because there are changes to the same artboard, Abstract prompts you to resolve conflicts.

10.9 Select “Pick artboard” beneath the preview for the version on the parent branch Getting Started.

10.10 Add this description: “I like the addition”.

10.11 Select the “Commit update” button.

10.12 Select “Edit in Sketch” to continue creating the prototype.

Now that our Designer 1 branch has all of the updates, let’s begin adding hotspots to link our prototype.

11.0 Add hotspots for Interactions

When using Craft, you can select an element such as a button, and then choose what screen it will link to and what transition it will use.

11.1 With the Designer 1 branch selected, click Edit in Sketch from the top right of your Abstract window.

11.2 Sketch will automatically open the file.

11.3 Press X on the keyboard to enable prototyping mode via the Craft Plugin.

11.4 Select the Button1 group on Page 1.

11.5 Press C, and then drag your mouse to the Page 2 artboard.

11.6 Click the artboard.

11.7 Change the gesture to “Tap” and the Transition to “Slide Left”.

11.8 Select the Page2 artboard copy and paste and rename the copy to Page 3.

11.9 Change the header to Page 3.

11.10 Press R to activate the rectangle tool.

11.11 Drag a 335px by 550px at X:23, Y:262 on the Page 3 artboard.

11.12 Select the + sign on Page 2.

11.13 Press C, and then drag your mouse to the Page 3 artboard.

11.14 Click the artboard.

11.15 Change the gesture to “Tap” and the Transition to “Slide Up”.

12.0 Preview and Commit changes

Commit changes to Abstract early and often to track your work. It is helpful to remind yourself to commit each time you change screens that you are working on.

12.1 Save the Sketch file by pressing ⌘+S.

12.2 Click on the “Preview and Commit” in the Abstract toolbar at the bottom of the screen.

12.3 Summarize the commit by typing “Add Page 3 and prototype links”

12.4 Select the blue “Commit changes” button in the bottom right of the modal.

12.5 Abstract will save the commit and sync to other collaborators who may be working on the project at the same time.

12.6 Wait for the grey spinner in the top left to change from “Syncing” to “Up-to-date”.

12.7 Click “Edit in sketch” to switch back to the Sketch file.

13.0 Sync to Invision using the Craft Plugin

Using Craft, we can sync the project with InVision the prototype will automatically be updated and can refresh your browser to see the changes.

13.1 Click on the icon beneath the Craft logo.

13.2 This is the export icon to sync with InVision.

13.3 You will be prompted to sign in to your InVision Account.

13.4 Create a new prototype and name it “Hello Rapid Prototyping”.

13.5 Select the iPhoneX device type from the list of options.

13.6 Select Publish.

13.7 Your prototype will begin syncing to InVision. Once finished hover over the “Hello Rapid Prototyping” project and click “Copy Link”.

13.8 You will receive a notification that the link has been copied to your clipboard.

13.9 Paste that link into a browser to view your project on InVision.

ProTip: When syncing minor changes on a larger project, you can reduce sync time by only selecting a single artboard to sync.

14.0 Test the prototype in your browser using InVision

The web based InVision app allows you to access screens of your project to test as well as adding additional interactions not supported by the Craft plugin.

14.1 Click “View Screen” on the Page1 artboard.

14.2 You will be in Preview mode by default where you can click through the prototype.

14.3 Click the button to see the “Slide left” transition play.

14.4 Click the + sign to see the “Slide Up” transition play.

14.5 You should now be on Page 3 of your prototype.

14.6 We want to add a swipe interaction to our mockup so we will Switch to Build mode by tapping “B” on the keyboard.

14.7 Draw a hotspot over the black rectangle on Page 3.

14.8 Select “Page 2″ as the destination to link to.

14.9 Set the Gesture: to “Swipe Down”, and the Transition to “Slide Down”.

14.10 Click Save to confirm your changes.

Notice that the hotspot is blue. This symbolizes that the hotspot is managed by InVision.

14.10 Press shift+click the hotspot to navigate to Page 2.

Notice that the hotspot on the + sign is orange. This symbolizes that the hotspot is managed by Craft.

15.0 Share your Prototype

Now that our prototype is available and linked, you will want to share with colleagues to get feedback. You can invite by individual emails, but our preferred methodology is to create links to send out to team members.

15.1 Select the share button in the bottom right of your prototype.

15.2 A modal will appear prompting you to share by email or sms.

15.3 We’re going to send out links, so select “Link Settings” in the bottom right of the modal.

15.4 Select “More Options”.

Notice each combination of toggle produces a different link, remember we can make two versions of our prototype link.

16.0 Sharing with team members to get feedback:

16.1 First Enable comments.

16.2 Enable Access to all screens.

16.3 Start the share link at “Page 1”.

16.4 Hotspots Enabled.

16.5 Copy the link and save it for future reference to send to team members.

17.0 Sharing with customers to test:

17.1 Disable comments.

17.2 Disable access to all screens.

17.3 Start the share link at “Page 1”.

17.4 Hotspots Enabled.

17.5 Enable Prevent Hotspots hinting.

17.6 Copy the link and save it for future reference for customer testing.

17.7 Paste the link in your browser to view the end result.

We’ve covered digital product design tools that Voltage Control uses during design sprints. This is the process that works for us in fast-paced prototyping days. Abstract allows for dynamic collaboration. Sketch combined with the Craft plugin makes hotspot linking much simpler. The process concludes with a one button sync to InVision to make the prototype live where we still have flexibility to make changes as needed.

I once had a design colleague tell me, “Don’t talk about it, be about it.” This could not be more true when it comes to app ideas. Using this workflow, you will be able to communicate your concepts using interactive prototypes that you can share by simply sending a link to you colleagues. Best of luck, and happy sprinting!

Please contact elijah@voltagecontrol.co if you have any questions about this tutorial or are seeking help training your design organization in these softwares.

The post How to Prototype at Light Speed appeared first on Voltage Control.

Prototyping allows you to test your concept with users for feedback. Get input and insights before investing significant time and money into the final product.

What is a prototype?

>A lightweight version of key aspects of a product or experience.

>A shared vision for the future of a product.

>A method to gather candid feedback from the customer.

Why should I prototype my product or idea?

>Test big ideas with minimal upfront investment.

>Gives you something concrete to put in front of customers for rich feedback and insights.

>Validate an idea or assumption.

3 ways prototyping saves you money and frustration

1. Find out what doesn’t work first. Then get into the details later.

2. The assets created assist in requirements gathering and development handoff.

3. De-risk project scoping and build team alignment.

Let’s prototype your idea!

We’re happy to offer a complimentary consultation to assess your needs.
(512) 766–9125 | info@voltagecontrol.com

The post Product Prototyping appeared first on Voltage Control.