TABLE OF CONTENTS Most of this book has focused on the details of what paper prototyping is, what it's good for, and how to do it. Now let's zoom out a bit. Paper prototyping fits within the larger context of user-centered design, which also includes techniques like contextual inquiry, personas, and participatory design, to name just a few. Although the techniques themselves can be sophisticated, they share an innate simplicity: They help product teams understand users.
Let's look at some examples of how people use prototyping as just one part of the larger picture of user-centered design. I asked three usability specialists to describe how they have used paper prototyping and other user-centered techniques at their company or clients. You'll notice that the examples have some things in common:
Early feedback. These companies recognize the value of figuring out what's needed before building it, so they seek feedback from users and internal stakeholders.
Several techniques. Paper prototyping is an important technique, but not the only one. In particular, there are other user-centered activities that precede the first prototype.
Fast and iterative. Designs go through multiple revisions. There's no expectation that the early designs will be perfect, only that they'll improve each time around.
Small and informal. No big budgets, no huge research studies, no fancy reports. Just do it, learn from it, do it again if needed (and schedules allow), and then...
