01Start here
The diamond delusion: rethinking linear models in product design
Embracing the messy reality should be the norm
Read article →Thematic hub · 22 connected resources
Prototyping: make ideas testable.
Prototyping a service creates the conditions to imagine, enact, and examine how a proposition might work in real situations.
The central idea
A prototype is a question turned into an experience.
Prototypes make discussable what abstract descriptions leave invisible. Their form depends on what still needs to be learned, who takes part, and the risks involved.
Level 01 · Essentials
Start by experimenting
Two readings on making experimentation part of the design process—and creating room to learn by doing.
01Level 02 · Practice
Related methods
Choose a method based on the question you need to answer and what you still need to learn.
01
Paired customer interviews
An in-depth interview with two people who know each other well, such as partners or friends, using the same open-ended guide.
View method →02User workshops
A group session with users in a co-creation format, used as an alternative to a focus group.
View method →03Cultural probes
A set of tasks participants complete during a session or on their own afterward, generating insights with minimal researcher influence.
View method →04Develop a concept
Synthesize an idea into a proposition that people can understand, desire, and discuss.
View method →05Storyboarding
A visual sequence showing how someone encounters, uses, and experiences a solution over time.
View method →06Role-play
An enacted rehearsal of an experience that helps a team learn from the actions, dialogue, and relationships it brings about.
View method →07Rapid prototyping
Build a simple representation to learn before making a decision or investing at scale.
View method →08Live prototyping
Test a solution in real-world conditions with a controlled scope and duration.
View method →09Gather feedback
Put an idea or prototype in front of the right people and turn their responses into the next learning steps.
View method →Watch
Playlist · 14 videos
SCAD prototypes
Examples of academic service prototypes that make propositions visible, testable, and open to discussion.
Open playlistBooks on designing and prototyping
Intermediate
Service Design: 250 Essential Methods
A wide-ranging collection of methods for research, ideation, prototyping, and implementation. It works better as a reference than as a linear read, helping readers who know the basic process broaden their toolkit.
View in the library →
Intermediate
Isto é Design de Serviço na Prática
A practical guide that follows service design from research through implementation. It brings together methods, facilitation guidance, and examples to turn intent into project practice.
View in the library →An idea becomes clearer when you can try it out.
Choose a prototype based on what you need to learn and on the consequences the test may have for its participants.
Continue with Hypotheses9 related publications