Rapid Prototype Your Idea

Before launching into your final project, it’s helpful to create a rapid prototype of your idea so that you can test the concept. Test your idea? Yes! This is part of what’s known as design thinking and it’s a creation process that helps ensure you work effectively and efficiently. Think of it this way: you don’t want to undertake a major project only to discover right before it’s due that your idea just isn’t that great, or needed a bit more thought when you had a bit more time. Like right now! So, take the time right now to create a rapid prototype that you’ll test with your peers in the next part of this lesson.

So, what is a prototype? Well, it’s a rough outline of your idea. And though you likely don’t know the exact answer to your better question (if you did, what’s the point of scientific inquiry after all?) you should know why you’re asking the question, how you need to uncover the answer and what you want to do with the answer (prove the need for a study, create new knowledge, highlight a solution).

You might think: I’ve done this basically! EXACTLY! You’ve already done most of the work for this task. That’s why this is a rapid prototype. We’re not asking you to take hours to create the prototype, but rather we want you to summarize everything you’ve done in one place so that others can comprehend what you’re doing and why. And when others get your concept? They can confirm whether you’re on the right path or not. (It also helps you reflect on the work you’ve done to make sure that you think you’re on the right path.)

Make sense? Our goal is to make sure you don’t do any more work than you have to and that the work you do is actually good and impactful, in this class and in our world.

What needs to be covered in your prototype? Here are a few questions to consider:

  1. What’s your better question? Why are you asking this question?
  2. If you don’t have a sense of what the answer to your guiding question is yet, what’s the outcome you want to achieve? What’s the goal?
  3. What’s required to reach your goal? Will you be conducting a study? Publishing a finding? Pitching a result?
  4. What research do you need to do? What stakeholders or experts do you need to interview and consult?
  5. What audience are you targeting? The scientific community? Decision-makers? The media or the public?

Why prototyping helps organize your ideas

  1. Clarity: Organizing an idea helps you clearly define what you’re trying to communicate, making it easier for you and others to understand.
  2. Focus: Organizing an idea helps you to stay focused on the main points you want to convey, which can help you avoid getting sidetracked or going off-topic.
  3. Coherence: Organizing an idea helps you to structure your thoughts in a logical and coherent way, which makes it easier for your audience to follow your ideas and arguments.
  4. Memorability: Organizing an idea makes it more memorable, both for you and for your audience, by providing a clear and memorable structure to the information you are presenting.
  5. Time-saving: Organizing an idea can save you time by helping you to quickly identify the most important points you want to communicate, allowing you to be more efficient and effective in your communication.