đź”´ Prototype phase & đź’ś Test phase
During the design process, it can be unclear how to proceed forward, particularly when team members have mixed opinions. The best way to resolve team conflicts about design elements is to prototype and evaluate them with users. If a prototype is received well, it’s a good sign it’s worth pursuing further.
How to prototype to decide
If the team is stuck between multiple opinions, build out multiple prototypes (for agility purposes, limit the team to 3-5 prototypes). Develop models of potential design candidates.
Be sure to distill the design problem down to discrete elements, isolating the variable you’re testing.
Build as quickly and low-resolution as possible. Then test your prototypes on the team, outsider peers, or, better yet, test your prototypes on real users. Be sure to capture feedback.
Credit
design thinking bootleg by d.school at Stanford University