Idea Development
Prototyping Your Idea
Make it real enough to test, fake enough to stay flexible. You’ve picked your solution. Now it’s time to build a version of it — not the final product, but something people can see, touch, click, or experience. That’s your prototype — and it’s one of your most powerful tools as a student innovator.
What is a Prototype?
A prototype is a rough version of your idea that helps you test and learn quickly.
It’s like a sketch of a painting, a trailer for a movie, or a demo of an app that hasn’t been built yet.
The goal is NOT to build a perfect product.
The goal is to learn: “Does this solve the problem in the way we hoped?”
Types of Prototypes
Choose your prototype based on what you want to learn and how much time you have.
What to Prototype
Focus on what’s most important to test.
The core value: What problem are you solving?
The experience: What does the user see, feel, or do?
The functionality: What features matter most?
Don’t build the whole product. Start small.
Activity: Build a 1-Hour Prototype
Set a timer for one hour. Choose your format (sketch, Figma mockup, slide deck, video) and build a quick prototype of your idea.
Ask yourself:
Can someone understand the idea just by looking at this?
Would this be enough to get feedback?
Did I include the most critical feature or flow?
Tools to Try
Canva – Fast, beautiful mockups
Figma – Interactive product design
Google Slides – Great for clickable demos
Lumen5 / CapCut – For explainer videos
Marvel / InVision – Interactive prototypes without coding
Cardboard, Post-its, LEGO – Yep, physical still works
Real Talk
Your first prototype will be messy. That’s the point;
It’s better to test 3 ugly versions than wait on 1 polished one;
Keep it cheap, fast, and focused on learning.