For human-centered designers, prototyping is an incredibly effective way to make ideas tangible, to learn through making, and to quickly get key feedback from the people you’re designing for. Rapid testing with real users can help you identify concepts that have potential for impact and spot ways to improve on early ideas. Prototyping isn’t about being precious. Simple, scrappy prototypes will not only save time, but also help focus testing on just the critical elements. The steps outlined below could take anything from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the challenge you’re solving. Follow them at a pace that works for you.