Week 19 · learning day 3
Prototype types
Prototyping and Testing · 45–60 minutes
Today’s outcomes
- Explain prototype types in the context of prototyping and testing.
- Analyse a product decision using the source outcome rather than intuition alone.
- Produce a reusable section of a prototype test card.
Source trace
W19-O03Describe wireframing and list the different tools used for wireframing.
Core lesson
Make the choice inspectable
Prototype types matters when it changes a real allocation of attention, money, time, or delivery capacity. A prototype is a question made tangible at the cheapest useful fidelity.
Start by naming the decision and the uncertainty around it. Separate evidence from assumptions, compare at least one alternative, and state what would make you revise the choice.
The source outcome for today is: Describe wireframing and list the different tools used for wireframing.
What decision will prototype types improve, what evidence is sufficient for that decision, and what is the cost of being wrong?
Worked example
Prototype types in practice
For a remote physiotherapy service, the product manager must analyse a choice about prototype types. The team records the target user and outcome, the evidence currently available, the strongest alternative, and the next reversible test. The recommendation is written as a choice with a reason—not as a list of features.
Do the work · 20 minutes
Turn the idea into a decision
- Choose a product you know and write the specific decision that prototype types should support.
- List two pieces of evidence, two assumptions, and one credible alternative.
- Make a recommendation in three sentences and add one condition that would change it.
Save to your portfolio
A prototype test card — section: Prototype types
Knowledge check
Answer before opening
What is the decision at the centre of prototype types?
A good answer names an accountable choice, not merely an activity or output.
How should evidence and assumptions be separated?
Label observed facts, interpretations, and untested beliefs explicitly so the next learning step is visible.
What makes the recommendation revisable?
It includes a trigger, threshold, or new evidence that would justify changing course.
What should the portfolio artefact communicate?
The context, considered alternatives, chosen direction, rationale, evidence, and remaining risk.
Spaced review
Reconnect the learning
Reflection