509: Prototyping mastery for product managers – with Matthew Wettergreen, PhD

Insights for product managers from a professor teaching engineering design and prototyping Watch on YouTube TLDR * The value of starting with simple, low-fidelity prototypes * The importance of focusing on the problem before jumping to solutions * The need for making well-supported decisions throughout product development * Real-world examples of how prototyping leads to innovative solutions Introduction In this episode of Product Mastery Now, I’m talking with Dr. Matthew Wettergreen, Associate Teaching Professor at the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen (OEDK) at Rice University. We discuss the benefits of low-fidelity prototyping, the engineering design process, and how to use prototypes effectively to solve problems and validate ideas. The episode also covers potential pitfalls in prototyping and best practices for product managers. The Power of Prototyping in Product Management The Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen at Rice University is an academic makerspaces where students learn innovation and product development skills. This 20,000 square foot facility has top-notch machines for digital and 3D prototyping, allowing students to create products that look like store-bought items. Prototyping is a key tool for product managers who want to create value for customers. Matthew explains that prototypes help product managers confidently develop solutions that make customers happy. By using prototypes wisely, product teams can figure out what truly meets customer needs and test solutions before launching them in the market. The Value of Low-Fidelity Prototyping Matthew has discovered that in many parts of the world, people build things with no budget at all, not just a low budget. He saw this resourcefulness in places like Ethiopia, where everyday items are reused in clever ways. For example, highway dividers made from cut-up palm oil containers show how people can create solutions with limited resources. In the OEDK, students have access to high-tech equipment, but they won’t always have the OEDK available to them. At the ODEK, students always start with no budget and prototype using readily available materials. This approach, called low-fidelity prototyping, has several benefits: * Causes students to produce more prototypes * Results in higher fidelity and resolution in the final product * Only require practical ingenuity and creative problem-solving to produce * Encourages quick iteration * Allows for fast and cheap testing of ideas * Makes it easier for people to work together and share ideas Types of Prototypes and Their Fidelity Prototyping is a method of problem-solving that creates physical or digital objects, called artifacts. Prototype Fidelity Characteristics Best Use Low-Fidelity Meets few design goals, not at the right scale, made from analogical materials Early brainstorming, fast testing of ideas Medium-Fidelity Meets some design goals, close to actual scale, made from mostly suitable materials User testing, gathering detailed feedback High-Fidelity Meets most design goals, at the correct scale, made from the best available materials Final testing, showing to stakeholders The Engineering Design Process Matthew introduces the seven-step Engineering Design Process used at the OEDK: This approach begins with understanding the problem before jumping to solutions. Fifty-one percent of the design experience should be spent in the prototyping, testing, and iterating phase. * Clarify the team assignment * Develop a Design Context Review * Set design objectives and constraints * Develop solution options