Rapid Prototyping

"Failing Fast and Learning Quickly"

AppLab conducts rapid prototyping to quickly assess an application�s potential. In rapid prototyping, researchers travel to the field and offer a �live� service. Researchers select random users and observe and record end-users� experiences from their introduction to the service to their reaction upon receiving information. The insights gained during rapid prototyping inform the design of the most useful and appropriate mobile services for Uganda and the queries captured during rapid prototyping serve as an input in product engineering.

User Experience experts from Google have worked closely with the AppLab team to conduct rapid prototyping exercises to test mobile data services tailored for needs in Uganda. The objective of the first of these exercises was to evaluate if the content areas of weather, agriculture, and health matched the content appetites of Ugandans and to assess SMS as an information delivery channel. Teams traveled to hospitals, agricultural markets, and transit hubs and encouraged farmers, health care workers and other end users to submit questions by typing in SMS search queries. Team members collected 280 queries from 17 locations and over 200 people sent their first SMS search query.

To see the AppLab team conducting rapid prototyping, visit our videos page.