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Start Today - Design Sprint
Day 4 – Giving Wings to Our Idea
09 de June de 2021
One crucial step in all great creations is taking what has been kept in our imagination —or in sketches lying on top of our desk— so far and making it a reality. Just like Thomas Edison when he was first experimenting with carbon filaments or the Wright brothers following their dream of having airborne men by giving wings to an engine. What would have been of humanity without the archetypes that gave place to the great inventions?
The first electric shock that Thomas Edison received was just a warning that let him know that he was moving in the right direction. At EAE’s Design Sprint, we pay great attention to those shocks that may ignite our light bulbs. That’s why, on Day 4 we focus on taking our sketches and turning them into actual prototypes in order to collect valuable information through user interaction.
We can sum up this day and the whole process in four steps:
1 - Let’s Make Some Decisions
The first step is giving an answer to a key question: What type of prototype do we need to develop? In this step, we must have the storyboard from the previous day nearby in order to get to the perfect archetype. In it, we can detect if our solution must be offered digitally or physically.
The current technological advances offer possibilities and needs that were previously unimaginable. Edison and the Wright brothers didn’t have to think of a digital prototype but EAE’s Design Sprint participants do — and so do any of today’s great inventions and discoveries. For those of you who have to go the digital way, there’s a great variety of tools on the internet —categorised as No-Code— that will help you design a digital prototype without the need of great programming knowledge.
2 - What Do We Need?
When it comes to prototype design, every creator must answer the famous “How Might We?”. The Wright brothers —whether they were aware of it or not— followed this technique to perfection. They wondered how they could get flying, trusting that there was an answer to that question, and they didn’t stop coming up with ideas and prototypes until they found the perfect one.
During this step, EAE’s Design Sprint participants must bear very much in mind all the “How Might We?” that came up on Day 1 —as well as all the “Can We?”— in order to include all that is needed in the design of their prototype which, in turn, must be able to give an answer to the problems or challenges that it will face.
3 - Let’s Try It Out
The first flight the Wright brothers ever accomplished lasted only 12 seconds and went on for just 36 meters. But, this was no failure. On the contrary, it was a great advancement. Those 12 seconds were enough to understand what had failed. Those 12 seconds gave them the certainty that their dream could come true with only a few adjustments.
This step of Day 4 of the Design Sprint has been crucial for gathering information and coming to conclusions that can change the prototype’s development. Participants were able to have their target audience present for this. They set the prototype for the audience to interact with it. Out of this interaction, participants were able to get enough key points on the audience’s impressions and perception of the product or service.
Iraís Soriano, a Máster en Emprendimiento e Innovación student, agrees: “Day 4 was crucial for getting to the ideal prototype”. But she also knows that this is still part of a process. “We understand that this is not the ultimate solution and, as time goes by, we’ll always have improvements to make to our future product”.
4 - Some Adjustments and It’s Fly Time!
A lighter engine, a vertical steering wheel —in order to correct the aeroplane’s tendency to wobble— and wings that provided a greater lift were some of the changes that the Wright brothers implemented in order to create their final prototype. At EAE, the participants prepare their archetypes using the collected information and set their eyes on the last day. It’s all taking shape. “We’ve seen great improvement compared to when we first started. We didn’t think that we could find a solution with only these few steps”, comments Iraís in awe.
The presentation of ideas in front of the EAE’s Design Sprint jury is getting nearer and our participants are starting to be prepared. Will they create something that will change the world? At least, something that will certainly make it an easier world.
A first step to think about the type of prototype we need. A second step to make sure it gives an answer to the “How Might We?” and “Can We?”. A third step to collect information from users’ interaction. A fourth step to fine tune the final archetype.
Article wrote in collaboration with
Santiago Tobón Tobón - EAE Emprende
Iraís Soriano - Máster en Emprendimiento e Innovación student