Fast-paced Design Approach: Emulating before Creating in a User-Experience Focused Environment
The PR2I process is a framework used in UX design for rapid prototyping, a method that helps move quickly from an idea to a testable prototype that can be validated with users. The acronym PR2I stands for Plan, Research, Refine, and Implement.
Plan
In the planning stage, it's crucial to define your goals and what you want to test or learn. Decide on the scope of the prototype, and outline key features or interactions needed. This step ensures you have a focused direction, building only what's necessary to test assumptions, avoiding waste of time on polished, fully built products at this stage.
Research
The research phase involves gathering relevant information about your users, their needs, and context. Look at competitors or similar solutions, and use quick methods such as user interviews, surveys, or heuristic evaluations. Grounding your prototype in real user insights increases the chance your "fake" prototype addresses real problems, making your testing worthwhile.
Refine
The refine stage is the heart of "faking it" — using simplified, often non-functional representations to simulate the experience or flow, which can be changed easily. Create a low-fidelity prototype (e.g., sketches, wireframes, paper prototypes), iterate based on quick internal feedback, and simplify interactions enough to convey core ideas without building full features.
Implement
In the implement stage, build a more interactive prototype, often using prototyping tools (like Figma, InVision, or Axure). Keep it lightweight: the goal isn’t a finished product, but enough to validate assumptions. Test with real or representative users to gather feedback. This step moves your "fake" prototype closer to reality without needing full development, letting you see which ideas stick and which don’t before investing heavily.
Using PR2I for "Fake it till you make it" in UX
In UX, "faking it until you make it" often means creating prototypes that look or feel real but aren’t fully built. The PR2I process guides you through creating these rapid, convincing prototypes.
- Plan what aspects need to feel real to users to test your assumptions.
- Research helps ensure the fakes you create are relevant.
- Refine by iterating low-fi versions that simulate user flow.
- Implement quick functional prototypes to validate ideas without costly development.
By following PR2I, UX designers can efficiently simulate product experiences, get user feedback early, and pivot before building expensive final versions. This reduces risk and accelerates learning, embodying the "fake it till you make it" mindset effectively.
Resources
- Ekta Srivistava, a User Interface Specialist and UX Architect, proposes the PR2I process for introducing the concept of faking it until you make it into UX work. Her piece on rapid prototyping can be found at Usability Geek.
- A list of 10 free wireframing tools is available.
- Suggestions for automating the sketching process for UX work can be found at UX Booth.
- A list of wireframing and prototyping tools for use on projects can be found.
Case Study: Aardvark
Aardvark, a company that created a manual process that appeared automated, is a prime example of the "faking it until you make it" approach in UX. They were later acquired by Google for $50 million. Their approach of using a human to control and drive interactions instead of automating connections between their users led to their success. Detailed information about Aardvark's success and their approach to "faking it until you make it" can be found at Gigaom.
Rapid prototyping makes sense in all UX environments as it allows testing ideas without building them, being cheaper and more resource-efficient than ever. Ekta recommends developing prototypes with the intention of recycling code from the prototype into the finished product to save money over the product's lifecycle.
- In the planning stage of the PR2I process, it's important to decide on the aspects that need to look real for users, focusing on what you want to test or learn, and outlining key features.
- The research phase involves gathering relevant information for your prototype, such as user needs, context, and insights, which helps ensure that the fake prototypes created address real problems.
- During the implement stage, UX designers can use prototyping tools like Figma, InVision, or Axure to build more interactive prototypes, thus moving the 'fake' prototype closer to reality while validating assumptions, without requiring costly development.
