C02: Rethinking UX Prototyping in an AI World

Abstract

AI has changed the game for all things UX, prototyping included. Before AI, UXers knew that prototyping was expensive and time consuming, and that there were many benefits to low-fidelity prototypes over high-fidelity, fully functional mockups. That we can now use AI to build a fully functional prototype in mere minutes changes everything.

Or does it? While AI clearly reduces the time and effort to develop functional prototypes, much of the conventional thinking about prototypes still applies. It is still possible to waste a great deal of time prototyping with AI tools if the process isn’t grounded in UX-based best practices.

The goal of this course is to rethink prototyping from the ground up, starting by exploring conventional prototyping best practices and why they were needed. We will then explore modern AI-based prototyping possibilities, current practices (best or otherwise), and discuss their pros and cons.

Once this foundation is established, we will work in teams to update prototyping best practices and as a class, apply those best practices to a real prototyping challenge.

Course Content

Effective Prototyping Fundamentals (pre-AI)

• Definition of ‘prototype’
• Class discussion: How did you prototype before AI?
• Design and development realities
• Typical process, including brainstorming, sketching, low vs. high fi, and iteration
• UX vs. UI focus (plus usability vs. feature focus, perception of completeness)
• The importance of clear goals
• Look at (fake) prototypes of real apps (Uber, StubHub)
• Summary of best practices

Modern AI-based Prototyping Techniques

• Class discussion: How are you prototyping now? How do you use and evaluate them? What do you iterate?
• Survey of the most popular AI-based prototyping tools
• Typical process (…why not, right?)
• Evaluate: Clear goals? UX focused? Productive? What have we lost? Is faster better?
• The Build Trap: Are we in it now?
• Summary of problems and traps
• Class discussion: Have you seen these problems

Updating Best Practices

• Review of best practices and new problems to solve
• Team exercise: Curate your own AI-based prototyping best practices
• Class discussion: Present your thinking and results

Real-World Application

• Introducing the design challenge (with recommended process)
• Class or team exercise: Apply your new best practices to create this prototype
• Class discussion: Present your results, evaluate your best practices based on this exercise [important! Focus of discussion won’t be on the quality of the prototype, but the effectiveness of the process behind it.]

Wrap-up

• Class discussion: How will this course affect your prototyping efforts in the future? What will you tell your team?
• Handout: Presenter’s version of prototyping best practices

Handout

The instructor will provide a handout with 1) the most important slides, 2) the description of the design challenge, and 3) (after the class is finished) the instructor’s version of AI prototyping best practices.

Exercises

Discussions about prototyping and practices (class)

Curating prototyping best practices (teams)

Applying best practices to a real challenge (class or teams, depending on class size)