Prototypes as Invitations:Â Cultivating Better Products with Stakeholders
Session Description
Prototypes are more than tools for testing ideas; they can be invitations to participate in the design process. In this interactive session, participants will explore how prototypes can be intentionally designed and facilitated to cultivate feedback loops, intentional conversation, mutually beneficial contributions, and genuine co-creation. We will consider how choices about what to prototype, how finished it appears, what questions we ask, and who we invite to participate shape what we learn. Through examples and a hands-on activity, participants will identify strategies for cultivating a more intentional and engaging prototyping praxis.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ Carlye Lauff
Dr. Carlye Lauff is an Associate Professor in the School of Product Design at the University of Minnesota and Co-Director of the CoLab Research Group. Her research bridges engineering design and product design through a human-centered lens, examining how designers use prototypes to learn, communicate, engage stakeholders, and make design decisions. She collaborates with industry, healthcare, education, and community partners to develop methods and tools that support more effective and inclusive design practice.