Introducing the New Design Triplets: “ShouldB, WouldB, CouldB!” | An Allegory

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The original colloquial modal verb triplets, “Shoulda, Woulda, and Coulda,” exist to give subjunctive explanations for activities and circumstances that did not occur in the past. They take pride in being the popular and well-respected reductions of Should have, Would have, and Could have, and are members of this well-known “eye-dialect” family. This article announces two new sets of family triplets: “ShouldB, WouldB, CouldB;” and their cousins, “ShouldC, WouldC, CouldC;” and features both of their intriguing relationships with Specification-driven and Prototype-driven design.

Specification-driven [S-D] design embraces “ShouldB’s and ShouldC’s” imperative, limiting, closed-ended attitudes on products’ designs, functionalities, and appearances. Specification-driven design’s inflexible “Specs” tell us what products should be and what we should see! Furthermore, S-D design emphatically informs us what “WouldB [Would-be]” and what we “WouldC [Would-see]” if we precisely followed the designated, predetermined, closed-ended processes.

Therefore, Specification-driven design, like “ShouldB, WouldB, ShouldC, and WouldC,” defines, confines, and sometimes maligns future products, events, and ideas, including their respective processes, based on uninformed or stubborn designers’ limited imaginations. Fortunately, besides positive disruptive innovation interventions, “CouldB and cousin CouldC” can also salvage the day! Consider the following.

Prototype-driven [P-D] design readily connects with “CouldB’s and CouldC’s” accommodating, open-ended natures that exude possibility and capability. Unfortunately, Specification-driven design, The “Shoulds” (regarding products), and The “Woulds” (regarding processes) demand “you must,” you ought to,” or “it’s conditional with limited options.” However, like Prototype-driven design, the “Could Cousins” (regarding projection) inherently declare possibilities, potential, and nuanced intervention from an open-ended perspective that removes limitations and releases spontaneous serendipity through rapid prototyping and brainstorming. This proven combination and related components guide conscientious designers to experience what “CouldB” and what they “CouldC” as they prototype and elevate creativity, ingenuity, and customer-centric product development to new strata.

For example, sometimes, Prototype-driven design includes customer participation in the design and prototyping process from a product’s inception and many times before the design is finalized. This aspect reduces recalls, revisions, manufacturing hold-ups, and other problematic occurrences caused when consumers only see and experience polished or final prototypes. Even though the “Woulds Cousins” connect with hope and aspiration, those attributes are linked to pre-established, closed-end conclusions. Consequently, it is important to realize that, according to Sveda’s and Vrba’s 2009 published research, hybrid opportunities enable rigid specifications to be intentionally infused with rapid prototyping to identify and define uncertainties and explore incredible possibilities and unfolding prospects.

Amazingly, Prototype-driven design provides a platform for individuals and groups, like “The Coulds, Woulds, and even the Shoulds,” to co-create when they combine their specific expertise through collaboration and corroboration. This cohesive connectedness undergirds iterative experimentation and prototyping crystallization. Overall, prototyping encompasses highly effective, efficient, exponentially advancing communication tools that currently incorporate Mannequins in medical prototyping and the game-changing, futuristic UXPin Merge (all-in-one) software that allows designing, prototyping, and interactive consistency with one’s final digital products in one place! Therefore, we welcome the entire “Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda Clan” to the Prototype-driven Design Family.