You’re working on a team project. How can you make sure your prototype meets everyone’s needs?

Understanding the problem is akin to laying a strong foundation before constructing a building. In my experience, a well-defined problem statement is the bedrock of effective solution development. Just as a civil engineer wouldn't proceed without a blueprint, in management, we shouldn't prototype without a clear problem definition. Using tools like the problem statement and the five whys mirrors the meticulous planning and strategic thinking I honed in competitive sports and engineering. It ensures that the team's efforts are channeled towards addressing the core issues that resonate with our target users, much like how a well-coordinated team on the badminton court focuses on every shot to win the game.

I was given the project to do market research and come up with the TAM for a Supply Chain SaaS platform for perishable goods. The 1st thing I did was clearly outlined the objectives and goals of the project to ensure alignment among team members. 2nd - Gather feedback and insights from all team members to uncover any potential blind spots or overlooked requirements. 3rd - Identify the key stakeholders and their respective needs and preferences and ways of working in the current space. Whats the Gap between now and after implementing your product?? That is the problem definition here :)

You can't. People or stakeholders keep on learning new things and then they propose new requirements leading to a process that indefinitely adapts your prototype. So what you need to do is incorporate this liveliness in your prototype. Prepare for the future.

For brainstorming, I think the first thing to do is agree on the fundamentals: Define the problem - HMWQ- Divide the problem into its bits and pieces -my lucky number is 17- Set a time frame -an hour is more than enough- Set a target number of ideas - number of people x 17 for me- DO NOT TALK - talking is a waste of time, you lose your concentration, tend to group think and it is never democratic! - Try to find the ideas that WOW - which means the ideas that are both original and easy to implement.- I have conducted more that 500 ideation workshops these rules rule!

I made a mind map with all the possible solutions shared among team members to generate diverse perspectives. - Prioritizing the solutions that address the identified needs and pain points of all or most of the stakeholders + rake in most $$. - Explore various approaches and technologies that could potentially meet the project requirements. - Consider both short-term and long-term implications of each solution to ensure scalability and sustainability.

After the prioritization as stated above, we evaluate each solution based on its feasibility, effectiveness, and alignment with project goals. Most of the ideas which were best on paper couldn't be executed with the tech and integrations at the time therefore we went to the drawing board to look for alternatives. Unless and until we don't get the feasibility check we can't move ahead.

Bei einem Prototypen kann man eigentlich fast nichts falsch machen. Ich pers?nlich liebe den Satz: Bei einem fertigen Prototypen sieht man schnell die Fehler (So kann das nicht funktionieren), bei einem unfertigen Prototypen (Bastelei o.?.) sieht man hingegen das Potential. Das ist also letztlich auch eine Kulturfrage... wenn unfertige, noch nicht fertige Prototypen nicht angezweifelt werden, sondern man wertsch?tzend das Verbesserungspotential erkennt, dann kann man gar nichts falsch machen.

- Develop a structured testing plan that includes specific criteria and metrics for evaluating the prototype's performance. - Invite representatives from each stakeholder group to participate in the testing process to ensure comprehensive feedback. - Implement iterative testing cycles to identify and address any usability issues or functional deficiencies. - Encourage testers to provide candid feedback and suggestions for improvement throughout the testing phase. - Document and analyze the results of each testing iteration to inform iterative refinements and enhancements to the prototype.

Targeted User Research is one thing that is missing in the entire narrative here. You need to know your consumer or to whom your solution/ prototype is aimed at. This could involve user interviews, surveys, or usability testing with representatives from different stakeholder groups. By consumer, it can be an internal one, such as your team member or an external one. Then, look for pain points if any, which is not addressed by your solution/ prototype. Address them prior to rolling out. By understanding pain points, desires, and technical capabilities of the team, you can (up to a good extent) ensure that the prototype addresses their core needs.