---
title: Building Learning into our Process with Prototypes
teaser: 'The value in prototyping isn''t in the mockups that we produce. It''s in
  the learning that the team gets after they test the prototype with potential users.

  '
tags: design,prototyping
author: Kyle Fiedler
published_on: 2015-10-19
---

[Wilbur and Orville Wright](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_brothers)
based their designs of the first airplane
from countless hours studying birds in flight.
They scrutinized the air patterns
surrounding their wings
as they flew and
analyzed how they were able to keep control.
They also gathered as many books
as possible on the topic of birds –
they even wrote to
the Smithsonian Institution to borrow
from their collection.

From the results of their findings,
they then built kites and gliders
to methodically test their
learned assumptions regarding a bird's flight.
While testing the gliders,
they photographed the flight
to create a reference for
their next prototype.
One glider in particular
preformed terribly and
was considered a huge failure
by both brothers.
Through this failure,
the brothers questioned
some of their basic assumptions,
namely [The Lift Equation](http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/lifteq.html).
Their findings from this
particular prototype proved
to be a big step towards
building an airplane
that was capable of safely
carrying passengers.

Throughout their process,
the Wright brothers were continuously learning
what they were doing correctly
as well as improving from their failures.
Each subsequent prototype reflected this knowledge,
proving better than the last.
Even with competition from
[Samuel Langley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Langley),
who had a larger budget
and increased resources,
the Wright brothers were still
able to build and launch
the world's first airplane.

I enjoy the Wright brothers' process
because it can be adapted so well
to the way we work at thoughtbot
and is a great lesson on iteration.
Conducting design research by studying birds
helped the Wright brothers create a more
complete understanding
of the problem.
Their methods and process,
which resulted in an eventual working airplane,
enforce the need for having
a continual feedback loop.

Just like the Wright brothers,
we need to have a continual feedback loop
throughout the design and development process.
This allows us to continually
[test our designs](https://thoughtbot.com/blog/test-driven-product-design)
to validate new features and ideas.
We learn valuable information
from our failures as well as successes.

When discussing the prototyping
stage for design sprints,
we tend to focus more on the artifact,
whether it is HTML or Invision,
than we do on how the prototype
should be used.
It's easy to miss the idea that
the prototype is simply a
talking point for testing
in a user interview
at the end of the sprint.
The purpose of the prototype
is to put users in front of
the features we think solve
the problem that we think they have
and learn from the interaction they have with it.
The real value isn't built up in the artifact,
it's in the information
we get after watching
people use the artifact.
We get to see if users
accomplish the job-to-be-done
better, faster, or easier
than what they are currently using.
If they can't, we dig deeper to find out why is this.
Do we have the wrong context and motivation?
Or maybe the wrong pain point?

Even if we find out
through testing that the prototype
is a failure, our overall
direction isn't compromised.
The Wright brothers proved that
there is a lot of value in
learning what will not be successful.
It's better to find
out quickly that you are
going in the wrong direction
and learn why.
It's that learning that we get from
the prototype that is of real
importance.