Paper Prototype

A paper prototype provides a simple way to gather valuable feedback on the interaction of your site. You can create a paper prototype in a couple of hours and present it almost anywhere. It can be tricky to find people to participate, but you can usually muster a few volunteers from your colleagues, friends and family.

The most valuable point of a paper prototype exercise comes from having a dialog with participants. Ask how they use their mobile phone. When? Where? Using their answers, you can determine what would be valuable information for them to access through their mobile phone and why they would use it. Using your paper prototype, have a prepared script of tasks for them to perform. Start the activity by explaining what goal you want them to reach. For example, “Find today’s movie times.” Use this time to interject conceptual asides like, “Is this something you have done, or considered doing on a mobile phone?” Their experiences or perceptions about mobile technology offer valuable insight as to how they will perform the task.

Keep the tasks simple and avoid confusing them. Most importantly, leave room in your script to improvise. If they get stuck on a particular screen, draw a new script on the spot and see if it works better. Don’t rush from participant to participant. After each study, you gain insight and find answers to some problems. Keep modifying your script and screens for each participant until it’s right.