What are the best ways to test prototypes with limited resources?

1 Define your goals

Before you test your prototypes, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how you will measure it. What are the main questions you want to answer? What are the key features or functions you want to test? What are the criteria for success or failure? Having specific and realistic goals will help you focus your testing efforts, avoid wasting resources, and evaluate your results objectively.

3 Select your participants

The quality of your testing results depends largely on the quality of your participants. You want to select participants who represent your target users, who can provide honest and constructive feedback, and who are willing and able to test your prototype. You can recruit participants from various sources, such as your existing customers, your social media followers, your online communities, or your personal network. You can also use platforms or services that help you find and manage participants for testing. However, you should be careful not to select participants who are biased, uninterested, or unqualified for your testing.

4 Prepare your materials

To test your prototypes effectively, you need to prepare some materials that will help you conduct and document your testing. Depending on your method, you may need materials such as a script, a questionnaire, a consent form, a recording device, a feedback form, or a report template. You should make sure that your materials are clear, concise, and consistent, and that they cover all the aspects you want to test. You should also test your materials beforehand to ensure that they work properly and that they do not cause any confusion or frustration for your participants.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?