The Power of a Prototyping Mindset
I was thinking recently about what it was like when I first started working at IDEO, the globally recognized design and innovation firm.
I felt like such an imposter.
No formal design training.
No experience with design thinking consulting.
No history in tech startups or website design or community management.
And there I was, pretending like I knew what I was doing.
Nowhere was my imposter syndrome more evident than in the ‘IDEO Shop’ – a super cool maker space that I inherently knew I had no business being in.
“They do prototyping in there,” I remember whispering to myself – not sure what that actually meant, but knowing simultaneously that it wasn’t something I did.
Of all the components that go into design thinking – the approach to creative problem solving, idea generation and collaboration that IDEO practices – prototyping was the one that felt most ‘out there’ for me.
It involved building things, making things, trying things.
All of which was firmly outside my comfort zone so no, thank you.
Ashley’s Note: If you’re feeling like you need to step outside your comfort zone and prototype something new, let’s work together in my Coaching Strategy Intensive – a 4-week career change accelerator. Read more and get on the waitlist. Now back to the story…
Fast forward to today and prototyping – the act of creating something that approximates the real thing – is by far one of my most FAVORITE things to do.
So, what changed?
We tend to think that only physical things can be prototyped – like the first Apple computer mouse, a new shopping cart, etc.
But I now believe that ANYTHING can be prototyped (seriously, challenge me on this – you won’t win).
Think about it:
The time you practiced your pitch deck before presenting it to potential investors? That was a prototype.
The time you wrote out the email to your boss asking for PTO, but asked a friend to review it for you before sending it? That was a prototype.
The time you decided you wanted to run a marathon so you tried out a 5K first? That was a prototype.
Everything changed for me when I finally saw that prototyping is hands down the smartest way to approach the change I want to see in my life.
First, it gives me permission to try. The point of a prototype is to learn, not to get it right (this is a recovering perfectionist’s ticket out, by the way!).
Next, it de-risks my options – I’m not trying to make the perfect choice right out of the gate. I’m trying something small, learning from it, and then choosing what to do next based on what I’ve just learned.
When I started to see prototyping not just as an action, but as a mindset, my whole relationship to it changed overnight.
And yours will, too.
One of IDEO’s most popular mantras when I worked there was “Build to Think.” And I now know they were right. When we build prototypes – no matter what they are – we learn what works, understand what doesn’t, and build confidence in ourselves and our path forward.
So today I invite you to consider: where in your life are you looking to create change, and how might you apply a prototyping mindset to it?
What can you try – and what do you hope to learn – through your prototype in service of your goals?
Then, as your prototype, notice: how does your confidence in yourself and your choices shift along the way?
Onward,
PS: Feeling stuck trying to figure out a prototype for a change you want to achieve? Reply to this email and let me know – I’m happy to brainstorm with you!
PPS: In the Coaching Strategy Intensive, we use prototyping to achieve real career change in just four weeks. Sound like something you’d like to try? Read more and join the waitlist to get notified when openings become available.