Step 4: Prototypes

• The final step in the design thinking cycle is about thinking by doing. Instead of just talking about the ideas, we make something that people can actually use and evaluate. 
• Prototypes can take many forms: a stack of pen-and-paper sketches, a physical model, an interactive HTML wireframe, a refined visual design, a skit  — it all depends on what questions we want to answer. 
• Once we’ve made a prototype, we circle back to the first step -- user research -- putting the prototype in front of potential users. Then, lather, rinse, repeat.  
• As we move through iterative cycles, the prototypes will become more and more refined, culminating in the final design.

Artifacts: sketches, interactive wireframes, physical models, visual designs