Design thinking Step 5, Test. In this lesson, our learning objective is to be able to describe the test stage of design thinking. When should you test? You should conduct tests throughout the design thinking process. However, test go hand in hand with prototypes, since you will most often test your prototypes with users. When you test your ideas and prototypes with users, you gain a deeper understanding of your users and also gain their feedback to improve your designs. As we go back to our diagram, test being the stage at the end. Test, create new ideas for your projects. It takes you back into the ideate stage. Test also reveal insights that redefine the problem, taking you back to the define stage. Finally, testing allows us to learn more about our users, which would potentially take us back to the empathy stage and start the entire process over again. Guidelines for testing. First off, show don't tell. The things that are important to your design, to your prototype should be in the prototype, it shouldn't be have to be something that you talk about. You should ask your users to talk through their experience so you can get an idea of how they feel, how they're experiencing, how they're working through the process, you should observe your participants, ask follow-up questions where necessary, and negative feedback is key. Negative feedback is not bad. Negative feedback is where we get the real meat of understanding about where the prototype has gone wrong, and how it can be improved to better help our users. If you're not prepared to be wrong, you never come up with anything original. That's the quote. Now your end goal is to be desirable, feasible, and viable. Desirability focuses on people. It what's puts the human in human-centered design, your solution is desirable if it appeals to the needs, emotions, and behaviors of the people you target. Feasibility is about technology. Is your design solution technically possible? Or does it depend on a technology that's yet to be invented or good enough for regular use? Viability is about whether your design solution works as a business. Is there an appropriate business model behind your solution would it collapse after a few years? Design thinking is not about making a profit, but good design solutions should be self-sustaining. That way, you can continue to support and improve your solution way beyond the project deadline. When you're able to create a prototype or finish product or service that satisfies the desirability, feasibility and viability tests, pat yourself on the back, congratulate your team or even do a small dance. You've designed a solution that will impact people around you for the better, and one that will continue to improve lives in the years to come. In this lesson, our learning objective was to be able to describe the test step of design thinking. I hope it was helpful. Thank you.
