Prototype - What is in a name?

When we say prototype, are we saying visualization? Most of the time the answer is yes. I think there are 3 types of prototypes at 3 different places within a process.

1. Interactive Concept - Reality = 0%

• To show proof of concept
• Lots of ideas, need to visualize to see what works
• Very thin and quick to create
• Sales tool to sell an idea
• Early concept phase
  

2. Design Validation - Reality = 50%

• To allow user feedback
• Many ideas narrowed to one or a few
• End of concept or start of design phase

3. Pre-production - Reality = 99%

• Technical foundation leading into implementation
• Maybe an evolution of an early prototype, maybe not
• End of design phase before implementation

Leaving MS to change the world

I read a book that is really making me think. It was by John Woods and is called "Leaving Microsoft to change the world".

A former Microsoft executive used his entrepreneurial skills and built a non-profit that changed the world. His organization, Room to Read, built 5000+ libraries, schools and computer labs and gave scholarships to thousands of girls.

They way he built the organization and developed the financial support was very innovative. I also liked the focus and process he developed.

Take a peek, what do you think?

Use Cases for Process

What if we took a use-case approach to defining our design and dev processes? Would that give us a different perspective of how we would like to work?

Sometimes a use-case needs to be documented in text. Other times a workflow does the best. And in still other cases, would a prototype be more appropriate? When something is very well understood, do you need to textually define it or can you just build it?

A nomenclature (meta data) for a use case seems also to be a needed thing. Some are very finite others are at a high level. Some are self contaned (can be completed in one-sitting) others are extended across time and multiple steps.

Use-cases should be able to be used for products as well as software. Anything requiring user-interaction, could use use-cases as a tool.

Xd for process

When we think about eXperience Design, we often are thinking about an application and how a user interacts with it. How would it look if we take Xd methodogies and applied them at the process level?

One of the most successful examples that comes to mind is iPod - iTunes - iTunes Store. The experience is fully realized when you bring all three together. Each on its own has been executed well but would each be as successful without the others?