Source: quotesondesign.com
Sometimes, ideas sound great in theory but don’t work well in practice. That’s why prototyping with actual users is essential. We usually think of prototyping in terms of software, but it has real-world applications, too.
My sister happens to be a nurse. The hospital where she works recently switched from using computers on wheels, affectionately known as COWs, to computer workstations. The hospital management thought the COWs were unsightly and that workstations would appear more professional to patients.
The new workstations did look tidier, but management didn’t realize they were sacrificing these three great features:
The hospital spent a fortune on new desktop computers that may look nice but inhibit staff from doing their jobs. Perhaps if they had known about these concerns ahead of time, they could have altered their plans. The issues would have been obvious if management had conducted a usability test using a prototype.
In this case, placing the laptops from the COWs in the exam rooms would have been a suitable prototype. The hospital could have tested this arrangement for a few days to see how it affects staff and patients. Staff would have quickly realized how awkward it is to face away from patients while speaking to them. Nurses would have noticed they didn’t have anywhere to store their tools. The time wasted while constantly logging in and out of computers would have been obvious.
Shadowing the staff while they use the prototype and interviewing them afterward would have brought these issues to light. Now that the hospital has already invested in these new workstations, changing them is difficult and expensive.
The bottom line is that it’s much easier to correct a prototype than a fully implemented product.
