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Prototyping Articles

Written by thoughtbot, your expert partner for design and development.

    • All Topics
    • Design
    • Development
    • Product
    • More topics
  1. A prototype is not a product. It's a conversation.

    Most organizations prototype too late. The best prototypes aren’t built to validate software, they’re built to create alignment. Especially in regulated industries, a prototype is the fastest way to replace assumptions with evidence and make better decisions.

    Ran Craycraft
    July 31, 2026
    • Prototype
    • Health Tech
    • Fintech
    • Prototyping
    • Business
    • Product
  2. Claude Code: Production ready code in a two-week sprint

    AI-generated code doesn’t have to be throwaway code. Here’s how we used Claude Code to build a fully-tested, production-quality Rails prototype in two weeks, complete with a robust test suite, clean commits, and code we were proud to have written.

    Chad Pytel, Louis Antonopoulos & Michelle Taute
    February 9, 2026
    • AI
    • Prototyping
    • Rails
  3. From idea to impact: The role of rapid prototyping in AgeTech

    Rapid prototyping can help AgeTech startups move fast, test wisely, and build with confidence. Learn how to turn big ideas into real-world impact without wasting time or budget.

    Kelly Gebo
    May 15, 2025
    • MVP
    • Health Tech
    • Startup
    • Prototyping
    • Product Strategy
    • Design Sprint
  4. Going beyond AI prototyping: Lessons from SXSW

    Learn how to turn AI prototypes into real product value. Insights from SXSW 2025 on managing AI tools, solving the last-mile problem, and building scalable AI features.

    Lindsey Christensen
    April 8, 2025
    • AI
    • Prototyping
    • Artificial Intelligence
  5. Week 7 of thoughtbot Startup Incubator: Senga

    Week 7 means we’re heading into the final week of the Incubator programming. Last week the Senga team continued refining the prototype and began making a plan for pitching and building an MVP.

    Dawn Delatte
    May 8, 2023
    • Startup
    • Founder
    • Prototyping
    • MVP
    • Incubator
  6. Week 6 of thoughtbot startup Incubator: Senga

    The Senga team is hard at work gaining insights and iterating the strategy and prototype based on real user feedback.

    Dawn Delatte
    May 1, 2023
    • Founder
    • Startup
    • Prototyping
    • Interview Techniques
    • Incubator
  7. Week 5 of thoughtbot Startup Incubator: Senga

    Week 5 means we’re past the mid-way point and the heat is on to make as much progress as possible with research, prototyping, and planning.

    Jordyn Bonds
    April 25, 2023
    • Startup
    • Founder
    • Prototyping
    • Interview Techniques
    • Incubator
  8. Don't Rush

    The thought of designing a product from nothing can be scary. Here’s how we prefer to start.

    Luke Mitchell
    March 6, 2017
    • Product Design
    • Process
    • Agile
    • Prototyping
    • User Interface
    • User Experience
    • Design
  9. Simplify Your Process with Adobe Experience Design

    Adobe Experience Design is basic, but great for rapid prototyping.

    Mike Borsare
    September 26, 2016
    • Prototyping
    • Tools
    • Design
  10. Building Learning into our Process with Prototypes

    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.

    Kyle Fiedler
    October 19, 2015
    • Design
    • Prototyping
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