This document discusses the importance and process of prototyping in design. It makes four key points about design: 1) understand people and context, 2) create prototypes, 3) analyze outcomes critically, and 4) iterate. Prototyping allows designers to test assumptions, observe how people interact with designs, and continuously refine their work. The document provides examples of prototypes from different domains and emphasizes that prototyping is essential for exploring emergent behaviors and making sense of complex problems.

1. Prototypes in Urban Space
Make A Thing
See What Happens
Image from

2. Breaking Down
Design Practice
Prototyping 07.10.2015@readywater

3. Point of Design #1:
(Try to) Make sense of
people and things

4. Point of Design #2:
Make a thing

5. Point of Design #3:
Critical analysis of
outcomes via things

6. Point of Design #4:
Iterate

7. Designed Outcomes
& Why to prototype
Prototyping 07.10.2015@readywater

8. And you may ask yourself
“Well...How did I get here?”
Image by Daniel Sieradski/culturebot.org.

9. We fetishize the act of
design & object creation

10. And often make a thing
to fulfill an observed or
defined need
Image from Vladimir Vyatkin/AP

11. But we often don’t take
responsibility for the
emergent result
Image from Sebastiano Tomada

12. What of the logistics of
design outcomes?

13. How might we shift
design outcomes
towards a
designed outcome?

14. Some Examples
Prototyping 07.10.2015@readywater

15. Walk [Your City]
Image from Adam Lovelady

16. The Chime
Image from Mark de Pape

17. Lava Mae
Image from TheGuardian

18. P-Cycle

19. InSite

20. [murmur]
Image from Gabe Swaney

21. Mayor Mockus

22. Detour

23. Throne Speech

24. __________ prototype
that explores ______
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25. Service+Paper:
Financial Goals
Image from The Get Set

26. Code+Data:
Mobility and Information
Image from SVDS

27. Physical:
Infrastructure and
Behaviour
Image from Hamilton Tactical Urbanism

28. Physical:
Urban Space and
Experience
Image from Ghost Bikes

29. Space:
Behaviours and
Community
Image from washingtonsquareparkblog

30. Code+Device:
Wellness and
Awareness

31. Code+Space:
Form, Light, and
Group Dynamics

32. Space+Code+Form:
Emotion and Memory

33. Prototyping serves a goal
poking at emergence.
Continuously.
Needling away at it to paint
a picture of behaviour.
Prototyping is the most
basic exercise of sense
making for design.

34. Cycling in SF:
An evolving outcome of
actions & prototypes
Image from Paul Mackie

35. Activism and Form
Image from Fourbarrel

36. First Bikelane in SF,
1971
Image from Ann Diaz SF Bikes

37. Wiggle Protest: Action
Image from SF Bike

38. Wiggle Protest: Policy
Image from SF Bike

39. Wiggle Protest:
Outcome?
?

40. What assumptions are you
making?
How can you test those
assumptions?
What’s the least effort way to
create that experiment?
Make it. Observe. Repeat.

41. Thanks
alb@ideo.com
@readywater
Prototyping 07.2.2015@readywater