Nine plain-language principles for testing an idea before you pay to build it
A short post on a GOV.UK design blog lays out nine principles for prototyping, which the authors define as a way to learn something before making a bigger commitment. The list grew out of a session where 124 people across UK government critiqued a draft. For a small studio or shop, the most useful idea is that a prototype only needs to answer one question, and it can be as plain as an email or a small event. The principles are also offered as downloadable posters.
- For
- Creatives and small business owners who want a cheap, low-risk way to test a new service, offer, or customer message with real people before committing money to it. The post was written for UK government teams, but its principles are general.
- Cost
- No cost is stated by the provider. The post and its poster downloads are published openly on the GOV.UK Design Notes blog.
- Access
- Open to anyone online. The poster downloads are linked from the post in A3 (white) and A1 (blue) sizes, which are UK paper sizes roughly comparable to a small and a large wall poster.
Your moveRead the nine principles, then write down one question you need answered about an upcoming offer, such as a new service package. Test the simplest version, perhaps a plain email, with a few real customers before building it out.
Start here