This is a Test
Out of all the topics I teach, one of my absolute favorites is prototyping.
A prototype is a rough approximation of something we’re aiming to build, create or make happen.
Prototypes are quick, visual, tangible, and can take lots of forms – from storyboards and paper prototypes, to role play skits and choreographed experiences, all the way to physical renderings and models.
The point of prototyping is to learn.
We make something, put it in front of the people we want to reach, and see what they think. We learn what works (and importantly, what doesn’t) through the act of building, creating, and testing.
Prototypes are the go-to innovation method inside organizations, but you can prototype your life, too.
Today, I’m prototyping a new outfit.
Today, I’m prototyping a new morning routine.
Today, I’m prototyping a new way to communicate with my partner.
Now, prototyping is not the default mode for many of us.
If you’re like me, somewhere along the way you figured out it was safer/nicer/better to skip doing experiments. To stop building prototypes and learning as you go.
Is that a problem?
YES. Actually, it’s a huge one.
Because if we never try something, if we never put ourselves out there, we’ll never change.
Birds learn to fly by throwing themselves out of the nest, even before their wings know what to do.
Babies learn to walk by standing up, taking a few shaky steps, and falling.
And when those cute babies land back on their bums, we don’t berate them. We don’t tell them they’re stupid or incapable of achieving what they want. Of course not!
(although we might have said that to ourselves the last time we failed at something)
No – we celebrate those babies! We cheer and clap and tell them to keep going!
That’s because we know that babies learn to walk by practicing. By taking a few steps, falling, learning, and getting back up.
They prototype it. And so can you.
What are you ready to prototype?
And hey, I’m not just giving lip service to this idea – I’m practicing it.
Onward,
