Q5. Test & Improve

Introduction

Now it’s time to test out your prototype to see if it solves your problem. Your goal during testing is to gather feedback to improve your design. Listen to others who are testing your prototype and take notes of the things they say and do that you could improve upon. Gather data for how well your prototype solved your problem and use it to improve your design.

Watch the following two videos to build your own ideas about prototypes and testing. The first video, Innovation 101 YouTube, (4:01) talks about both prototyping and testing your prototype. 

Key Vocabulary

Alpha Test: Gathering feedback from observing and listening to other people interacting with your design. Feedback from alpha testing is mainly used to find problems with the design so you can make sure the design will work properly.

Beta Test: Gathering feedback from observing and listening to other people interacting with your design. Feedback from beta testing is mainly focused on how much people like your design.

Iteration: Using feedback to repeatedly improve upon a design.

Play the Vocabulary Game below to practice the Key Vocabulary. 

Steps

Record all of your progress in your Design Thinking Workbook

1. Alpha Testing

• Partner up and describe your the problem you are trying to solve. It is ideal to test your prototype on someone who might actually use it, if possible.
• Then share your idea and prototype.
• Let your partner(s) interact with your design.
• Listen and observe them interacting with your design.
• Encourage them to share at least one thing they like, one question they have and one thing to improve on and take notes in your Design Thinking Workbook.

2. First Iteration

• Now that you’ve gathered feedback, improve your prototype.
• Use the “Things they like” to highlight these features in your prototype.
• Use the “Questions they have” to improve your design to make the answers to these questions apparent.
• Use the “Things to improve” to improve your design to make it better solve your problem.
• Take a picture of your prototype after the first iteration and put it in your Design Thinking Workbook.

3. Beta Testing

• Partner up again and share the improvements you made based on their feedback.
• Let your partner(s) interact with your design.
• Listen and observe them interacting with your new design.
• Encourage them to share at least one thing they like, one question they have and one thing to improve on and take notes in your Design Thinking Workbook.

4. Second Iteration

• Now that you’ve gathered feedback, use it again to improve your prototype.
• Take a picture of your prototype after the second iteration and put it in your Design Thinking Workbook.

Note that in the interest of time, we won’t have you iterate again. In the real world though, designers iterate multiple times and with different people in order to create their best possible solution to the problem.

Completing this Quest

You have completed this Quest after completing the I Can Statement and steps above. After you’ve completed your second iteration and recorded it in your Design Thinking Workbook, it’s time to consult your teacher. They may ask you some clarifying questions before you move on to Quest 6: Reflect & Share.

 Check off this Quest on the 21t4s roadmap 

  I am ready to go on to Quest 6 Reflect & Share