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Lesson 3 of 6Designing and Refining an Idea
Unit 2 · Lesson 3 of 6

Prototypes and Storyboards

A prototype is a quick, cheap early version of your idea that you test with real people, record their feedback on, and improve before spending real money.

4 min read8 practice questionsAsk AI about this →

Key things to remember

  1. 1A prototype is an early, cheap, simple version of your idea, made to test it.
  2. 2Cheap prototypes: sketch, paper model, storyboard, mock-up, sample batch, simple landing page.
  3. 3A storyboard shows the customer's experience step by step, from problem to result.
  4. 4Ask open questions, avoid leading questions, and observe what people actually do.
  5. 5Record feedback in a table and look for patterns before changing the design.

Imagine ordering 500 stickers, then finding out they peel off in the dishwasher. That would waste a lot of money. Smart entrepreneurs test first. A prototype is an early, simple version of a product or service that you make so you can test the idea. It does not need to be perfect. It needs to be cheap and fast, so you can learn what works before you spend real money.

Types of cheap prototypes

  • Sketch: a drawing of the product on paper. Cost: almost nothing.
  • Paper model: a rough 3D version made from paper, card or tape.
  • Storyboard: a comic-strip set of pictures showing the customer using your product or service, step by step.
  • Mock-up: a realistic-looking model that shows how it will look, but may not work fully (for example, a printed sticker on plain paper).
  • Sample batch: a small number of real products (say 10 stickers) to test before a big order.
  • Simple landing page: a one-page website or poster describing the product, to see if people click 'I want one' or sign up.
CreateMake a quick, cheapversion.TestLet real users tryit; watch and ask.RefineFix what failed,keep what worked.Loop untilit worksEach loop should be fast and low-cost: learnwhat customers want before you spend a lot.Low-cost prototypesSketchA quick drawing to testthe look and mainfeatures.StoryboardComic-style frames showinghow a customer uses it.Mock-upA rough model made ofcardboard, clay, orslides.Sample batchMake 10 and sell tofriends to test demand andprice.Landing pageA one-page website to seehow many people sign up.
Fig 1Create a quick version, test it with real users, refine it, and loop back.

Priya and Sam started with the cheapest prototype: they drew five sticker designs on paper, cut them out, and covered them with clear tape. It cost them nothing because they already had the supplies. Later they paid a local print shop $20 for a sample batch of 10 real vinyl stickers. Vinyl is a waterproof plastic material many stickers are made of.

Storyboarding the customer's experience

A storyboard shows the whole experience from the customer's point of view: the problem, finding your business, buying, using the product, and the result. Drawing it helps you spot gaps, like 'How will customers pay?' or 'How do they know which design to pick?' Stick figures are fine.

PanelWhat happensQuestion it raised
1Ava can't find her bottle in a pile of identical bottles at lunch.Is this problem common? (Ask more students.)
2She sees the Stick With It table at the club fair.Where and when will we sell?
3She picks a design and asks for her name on it.Can we do custom names fast enough?
4She pays $3.00.Do we accept cash only, or e-transfer too?
5She sticks it on her bottle.Do we need to explain how to apply it?
6A week later she spots her bottle instantly.Will the sticker survive washing?
Six-panel storyboard of a customer's experience with Stick With It.

Testing with real people

Testing means putting the prototype in front of real possible customers and learning from them. Ask open questions, which need more than a yes or no ('What would you change?'). Avoid leading questions, which push people toward an answer ('You love it, right?'). Most people are polite, so also observe: watch what they do, not just what they say.

AGood questions to ask
  • What do you think this is for?
  • What would you change?
  • How much would you pay for it?
  • Would you buy it today? Why or why not?
BThings to observe
  • Which design do they pick up first?
  • Do they look confused at any step?
  • Does the product hold up when used for real?
  • Do they ask where to buy it?
TesterWhat they likedProblem noticedIdea to change
Tester 1Bright designsEdge peeled after washingStronger, waterproof material
Tester 2School-colour designNoneAdd names
Tester 3Small size fits the lidEdge peeled after washingRounder corners
Tester 4Glow designEdge peeled after washingNone
Tester 5Price seems fairHard to read from far awayBigger, high-contrast text
Feedback log for the tape-covered paper prototype, tested by 5 students for 2 weeks.
Look for patterns, not single opinions
One person disliking a colour is just taste. Three out of five stickers peeling is a pattern. Fix the patterns first.
VideoWatch the ways to get honest feedback from customers, such as surveys, interviews and product demos, and think about which would test your prototype best.Watch on YouTube

Worked examples

Reveal one step at a time and try to beat it to the next line.

Example 1
Choose the best first prototype for Stick With It and explain why.
Example 2
From the feedback log, 3 of the 5 testers had stickers peel after washing. What percent is that, and what should Priya and Sam do?
Example 3
Rewrite these leading questions as open questions: (a) 'You'd buy this, right?' (b) 'Isn't this design awesome?'

Where marks get lost

  • Spending a lot on a 'perfect' first version instead of a cheap prototype, so changes become expensive.
  • Testing only with friends, who often say nice things to be kind.
  • Asking leading questions like 'You love it, right?' and treating 'yes' as real proof.
  • Listening to what people say but not watching what they do with the product.
  • Not writing feedback down, then forgetting which problems came up most often.

Flashcards 7

Prototype
Storyboard
Mock-up
Sample batch
+ 3 more

Practice

1
What is the main reason to build a cheap prototype first?
2
Match each prototype type to its example.
Sketch
Storyboard
Sample batch
Landing page
3
Which is an open question?
4
In a test, 4 out of 5 students picked the school-colour design first. What percent is that?
%
5
Put the storyboard panels for Stick With It in order.
  1. 1She sticks it on her bottle
  2. 2She pays
  3. 3She spots her bottle instantly
  4. 4Ava can't find her bottle at lunch
  5. 5She sees the Stick With It table
  6. 6She picks a design
6
What do you call a comic-strip set of pictures showing a customer's experience step by step?
7
One tester says she dislikes the colour purple. Three testers say the stickers peeled. What should the team fix first?
8
Why should you observe testers, not just listen?

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