# data[].attributes.body
Circular economy startups

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Poonam Watine and Judith Ketelslegers and World Economic Forum

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sustainability start-ups solving circular economy challenges

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For the circular economy to flourish, companies need enhanced data and traceability tools to track products and materials from the cradle to the grave.

# data[].attributes.body
To understand how founders fundraise and dominate in various innovative arenas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Listen to the latest episodes of Good Bad Billionaire on BBC Audio

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Raise Startup Funding: EVERYTHING You Need to Know

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Startup Funding Explained: Everything You Need to Know

# data[].attributes.body
This will help to go about budget, cost and income planning.

# data[].attributes.body
The template is useful for any start-up financial health planning

# data[].attributes.body
The power of team work

# data[].attributes.body
alex hormozi is great to learn abojut being entrepreneur

# data[].attributes.body
Prototype Inspiration

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Secret to Telling a Great Story — in Less Than 60 Seconds | Jenny Hoyos | TED

# data[].attributes.body
How to Develop Market Strategy

# data[].attributes.body
Understanding Your Customer Reality

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Check out this great listen on Audible.com. Read by the author. Love isn’t about finding the right person—it’s about becoming the right person.No matter your relationships status—single, dating, engaged, married, or divorced—Student of Love invites you back into the classroom to…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How To Create An MVP (Minimum Viable Product) - STEP BY STEP

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Discover the essential guide to creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). Learn how to build, test, and refine your product idea with practical steps and real-world insights.

# data[].attributes.body
Anyone in need of digital marketing tools to make your project grow? Watch this.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 Marketing Strategies Guaranteed to Grow ANY Business (PROVEN & PROFITABLE)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Figma App Build: Research → Prototype (Components & Iteration)

# data[].attributes.body
Overthinking might be stopping you from being the best you.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Give me 9 minutes and I'll STOP your OVERTHINKING

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The single biggest reason why start-ups succeed | Bill Gross | TED

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Biggest Mistakes First-Time Founders Make - Michael Seibel

# data[].attributes.body
Good illustarion on avoiding mistakes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Prototype vs. MVP: What's the Difference?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Updated: May 6, 2025 - 10 min read

Prototypes and Minimum Viable Products (MVP) are a critical part of Product Development. Sure, you could dive right in, spend months developing an expensive product with all the bells and whistles...only to find that at launch, nobody wants it. Or you've built it completely wrong. Or you could have built something way better if you'd pivoted halfway through.

Not testing your ideas is a great way to fail (and not in a helpful way).

That's where MVPs and prototypes come in! They help you find your Product-Market Fit , get stakeholder and user feedback, and start building buzz around your upcoming launch. They're also a great communication tool between you and your designers/tech teams, and they help you understand what it is you're building.

But what do 'prototype' and 'MVP' actually mean?

Well, a prototype is a lightweight early-version of your product. And an MVP is also a lightweight early-version of your product.
Done!
...if only it were that simple. While in theory MVPs and prototypes seem like the same thing, and both are part of agile product development, there are a few key differences.

Here we're going to take you through everything you need to know about prototypes and MVPs. We'll look at:

What a prototype is for, and the forms it can take.

What an MVP is.

Examples of MVPs that became huge, successful products.

The subtle differences between a prototype and an MVP.

Tips on how to build your own.

What is a Prototype?

A prototype is what happens when you give form to your product idea. It's something tangible, not just in your head.

Prototypes can vary in size and how much time and effort you put into them. They might be a simple sketch on paper, or something more functional and interactive.

The main benefit of a prototype is that it helps you to communicate with your design and engineering teams. You need to show them what to build! Think of it as the packaging of an empty box. It shows you what's inside and what it looks like, but there's currently nothing going on underneath.

Depending on your skill level, you can make your prototype as complicated or as simple as you like.

Different Types of Prototypes

Paper sketches: This is the lowest level of prototype. If you can wield a pencil, you can manage! Draw out a basic idea of what your user interface will look like. If you want to make something visually appealing to communicate to investors/stakeholders, work with a designer to create something that fits your vision.

Digital prototypes: You can also create a working mock-up of your envisioned product, and there are many tools to help you do so.

The rule of thumb when picking prototyping tools is their complexity : you might not need all the features in the world to make your project scream SUCCESS.

For a web-based app, if you're just starting out and don't have a big budget/powerful computer, we can recommend Proto.io . In terms of standalone apps, InVision , Figma , Balsamiq , Axure RP , Sketch (for Mac only) and Adobe XD are good options.
Read about more types of prototypes .
Prototype Inspiration

Need some ideas? Check out these awesome prototype examples!

What is an MVP?

The meaning of MVP is Minimum Viable Product . It's the bare minimum version of your product that still solves the problem for your customers. Eric Ries describes it perfectly in The Lean Startup .

Think of it like this: if someone needed transportation between Point A and Point B, and they're not sure how best to get there, the first thing you give them wouldn't be a Tesla! You might start with a skateboard, or a scooter. You get the feedback that they want something motorized, so you get them a motorbike. It does the job, but now they want something waterproof, with some kind of entertainment system. So eventually you give them a car with built-in radio.

Without testing, and understand what works and what doesn't, you might have given them a skateboard with a Nintendo Wii strapped to the front instead.

An MVP fits naturally into a product operating model as a key tactic within the broader product discovery and delivery process. It supports fast learning, reduces waste, and helps teams validate assumptions before scaling solutions-all of which are central to modern, outcome-focused product organizations.

Examples of MVPs that became products

1. Groupon: A WordPress site and PDFs

While Groupon didn't exactly invent the voucher (extreme couponing has been a hobby for generations!), they helped it become a staple of our social lives and shopping habits.

It started out as a bare-bones operation. At launch, they had a basic WordPress site and would email normal PDFs as vouchers to subscribers. Once they proved that there was a demand for an online voucher marketplace, they invested in building a more elaborate backend.

Despite suffering a decline in customers thanks to the pandemic, they remain one of the most popular coupon websites in the internet.

2. Airbnb: From 3 guests to 400 million

The Airbnb we know and love today started out as AirBed&Breakfast, a very basic website which provided accommodation to people who came to San Francisco for a design conference.

The problem that founders Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia were trying to solve was that they couldn't afford the rent on their loft apartment. Short-term rentals were arduous and often involved big bills to middlemen.

After testing their idea on 3 paying guests during the conference, Airbnb grew organically to the powerhouse we know today. It even involved Brian Chesky staying in early listings to give the platform some traction.

Had they not tested, they could have build an extravagant system, with all the cool features Airbnb has now, only to find that people didn't want to stay in other people's homes. Luckily for them, they were onto something...

3. Dropbox: The product that didn't exist

Dropbox is a fantastic example of Product-Led Growth done well.

But in the beginning, they didn't have a product at all!

Instead of building a full product, they came up with a working MVP , created a video explainer, and essentially pretended that it existed.

This helped them to test their idea. Had they built the complicated backend, only to find that nobody wanted their product, they would have lost countless hours of work.

From their introductory video, they received over 70k email addresses from people wanting Dropbox ASAP. They'd proved their idea had legs without spending a lot of money getting it to walk.

4. Spotify: Do one thing and do it well

When Spotify first launched its MVP to the world, it aimed to do one thing: stream music. They built an MVP which only streamed songs, without all of the extra features (playlists, podcasts, video, mobile app etc), and launched a closed beta to test their idea. Everyone loved it, and the freemium model was popular with users.

Knowing that their MVP was a hit, and their business model was proven, they rolled out a full launch and have experienced year on year growth ever since.

As of 2023, Spotify had 195 million premium subscribers.

What is The Difference Between Prototype and MVP?

Breaking it down simply, the main differences are:

1. Scope

2. Commitment

3. Audience

Watch: How to Build and Launch your MVP by Microsoft PM
The scope of a prototype and an MVP vary greatly. A prototype is something that you can put very little time and effort into. The idea is to come up with a variety of prototypes, and be able to change, adapt, and throw away ideas quickly.

With an MVP , you've picked an idea and you're rolling with it, which means putting in a little more effort. You're likely to use more resources and have more people involved.

Because of the difference in scope, your commitment level is also different. Once you've invested time and resources into an MVP, you're less likely to completely scrap it. While the whole concept of MVP is based on the ability to be cost-effective and make rapid changes, it'll still be painful to get rid of it entirely and start from scratch.

With a prototype, it can be as easy as crumpling up the paper and starting again! Although more complex prototypes certainly take up more resources, you're still less tied to them than you are to a fully realized MVP.

Your prototypes and your MVPs will also be intended for different audiences. Prototypes are mostly internal. Mainly intended for your teams, or others in your company. At most, you'll give them to the press to create a bit of buzz, or use them for crowdfunding purposes. But they're not intended for your target market en masse.

An MVP , as we've now seen, is intended to be launched to your target market in order to assess its reception. The P stands for Product, after all! An MVP is something that the public will be judging you on, and something which people may remember when the time comes to commit to V2.

Tips for Building Your Prototype or MVP

Now that you know the difference, you might be thinking about how to build a prototype or MVP. While the resources and data you'll need are different for each, there are a few golden rules that you can apply, no matter what you're building.

1. Stay customer-focused: So many of the world's most successful companies credit their customer-focus as the secret to building winning products. The goal of your product is to provide value, so be sure to focus on who you're building for.

2. Stay data-driven: You don't have to be a data scientist to be a Product Manager, but don't think that numbers shouldn't matter to you. You might not have an extensive data set if you're building your first ever product, so think about what data you want to collect from your prototype/MVP. It'll help you later in development, and for future releases.

3. Kill your darlings: You might really love your prototype/MVP. But if no one else does...it's time to rethink! The only thing waiting for you if you launch something nobody wants , is failure.

4. Just build the thing! You can agonize over perfecting your prototype before committing to an MVP. You can also spend months working and reworking your MVP before you feel ready to launch it. If you want to build products, eventually it's time to let go and let people see them!

Learn more with Product School

Now you're ready to build! For next steps, you might consider starting a side hustle. For a lower commitment option, check out this guide for Hackathons! If you're ready to start building like Product Managers do, don't miss Product School's Product Management Certification , where you'll get hands-on learning by building products and solving real-world problems.

Updated: May 6, 2025

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find out how Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) stand apart from prototypes, and the key to building your own.

# data[].attributes.body
The TRIZ method: An easy to use framework to generate vast ideas

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Amazing Way Inventors Solve Problems - The TRIZ Method

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Testing, Iterating, and Finalizing Prototypes | Google UX Design Certificate

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How To Create An MVP (Minimum Viable Product) - STEP BY STEP

# data[].attributes.body
Designing prototyping methods

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Design prototyping methods: state of the art in strategies, techniques, and guidelines | Design Science | Cambridge Core

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Design prototyping methods: state of the art in strategies, techniques, and guidelines - Volume 3

# data[].attributes.body
The Builders; podcast

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Solo Episode: 7 Things I Wish Founders Knew Before Raising Their First Check!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Use AI to Grow Your Business, Go Viral Online, & Make Money with Alicia Lyttle

# data[].attributes.body
Read “Prototyping: From Idea to Test”

Why it’s useful: Practical, step‑by‑step guidance on choosing fidelity, writing hypotheses, and running fast user tests. How to use: Pull one checklist item from the article into your next sprint plan (e.g., recruit 10 real users for a 7‑day test).

Read “MVP Playbook: Types and When to Use Them”

Why it’s useful: Clear comparisons of Concierge, Wizard of Oz, Landing Page, and Piecemeal MVPs with real examples. How to use: Pick the MVP type that best tests your riskiest assumption and sketch a 1‑week experiment.

Watch “Delta 4 Theory: Building Desirability” (talk)

Why it’s useful: Short talk that reframes prioritization around desirability, not just features or efficiency. How to use: Run a 10‑minute team exercise scoring three candidate refinements by Delta 4 lenses.

Watch “3 Classic MVP Case Studies”

Why it’s useful: Concrete, low‑cost examples (Buffer, Dropbox, Zappos) that show how simple experiments validate demand. How to use: Use one case as a template to design a landing‑page or concierge test for your project.

Listen “Product Thinking” (podcast episodes on discovery & MVPs)

Why it’s useful: Short, tactical episodes focused on hypothesis design, metrics, and recruitment. How to use: Assign one episode as pre‑work before your planning session and discuss three takeaways.

Tool Simple A/B Test Template (spreadsheet)

Why it’s useful: Ready columns for variant, sample size, metric, duration, and decision rule reduces setup friction. How to use: Copy into your analytics folder and use it to run the onboarding animation A/B test.

Community — Local Sustainability Design Slack

Why it’s useful: Peer feedback, material sourcing tips, and potential pilot partners focused on circular design. How to use: Post a 2‑line ask (what you need, what you offer) to recruit a pilot partner or get material advice.

Read “Circular Design Quick Guide”

Why it’s useful: Practical checklist for designing for reuse, repair, and low‑waste prototyping decisions. How to use: Add the checklist to your refinement plan and mark any change that improves reuse or reduces waste.

Pinning format (copy‑paste)

Use this short card format when you pin any resource to the board:

Title one‑line description. Why useful: one sentence. How to use: one action to try this week.

# data[].attributes.body
Figma 23 Prototyping Resources What: Curated links, tutorials, and inspiration for every stage of prototyping (from low‑fi flows to motion and variables). Why useful: Great single page to bookmark when you need practical how‑tos, templates, and examples to speed up design and testing.

FasterCapital Prototype resources guide What: A broad roundup of prototyping approaches, expert tips, and places to find help or partners. Why useful: Useful when you want a checklist of tools, learning paths, and where to find external support for building prototypes.

EWOR 10 Inspiring Reads to Get Started With Prototyping What: A reading list that includes classics like The Lean Startup and practical essays on pretotyping and rapid learning. Why useful: If you prefer learning by reading, this compiles foundational books and articles that explain the mindset behind fast experiments.

IDEO U — Human‑Centered Design courses What: Short courses and toolkits on framing problems, rapid prototyping, and user testing. Why useful: Practical exercises and templates that help translate insights into better prototypes (good for teams and coaches).

Nielsen Norman Group Usability testing articles What: Research‑backed guidance on running tests, interpreting results, and avoiding common biases. Why useful: Helps you turn qualitative feedback into reliable evidence for your Lean Canvas decisions.

YouTube: “Product/UX sprint” playlists What: Short walkthroughs of sprint-style prototyping, user interviews, and rapid iteration. Why useful: Watch a full micro‑experiment from setup to result in 10–20 minutes great for learning by example.

Podcasts: “How I Built This” + “Product Love” What: Founder stories and product conversations that reveal how teams validated ideas and iterated under constraints. Why useful: Real-world case studies that normalize failure-as-data and show practical tradeoffs.

How to use these on the board

Pin one resource per card with a 1‑line “Why I recommend” and a suggested action (e.g., Read chapter 3 this week; run a 1‑hour guerrilla test).

Tag by use case: Research, Tools, Testing, Mindset so Fellows can filter quickly.

Risks and limitations to call out

Over‑reliance on templates can hide the real question you need to test always map templates back to your riskiest assumption.

Reading vs doing: books and articles build context but don’t replace running micro‑experiments; pair learning with a 1‑day test.

# data[].attributes.body
A paper article on Prototyping for Digital Innovation: Investigating the Impact of Digital Technology on Prototyping Elements

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What is and how to make a "PROTOTYPE EVALUATION WITH USERS"? How does it works? Temp 15 - Ep 235

# data[].attributes.body
i recomend this because founders talk very honest about failure and uncertainty and how their ideas changed over time, and that helped me feel more normal about the ups and downs of prototyping

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A podcast about innovators, entrepreneurs, idealists and their stories about the movements they built.

# data[].attributes.body
miro is super useful for mapping ideas, journey maps, and team reflections because it lets everyone add notes and see patterns fast, and it helped me a lot during the prototyping reflections for my project

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Collaborative Digital Whiteboard for Teams | Miro

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
More than an online whiteboard, at the heart of collaboration. Use Miro’s fast and free virtual whiteboard to collaborate with others any time, anywhere.

# data[].attributes.body
i like this book because it explains super clearly how to test ideas with communities and how to listen better to users, and it helped me understand that every prototype is also a learning process and not only a product

# data[].attributes.body
this video helped me understand why the why of a project is so important and how people connect better when we communicate purpose instead of only features or technology

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How Great Leaders Inspire Action | Simon Sinek | TED

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From idea to live app in minutes. Base44 gives you the tools to launch fully-functional apps - no code, no setup, no hassle.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Prototyping a sustainable future | Stefaan Vandist | TEDxKULeuven

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
From the course: Time Management Fundamentals

The power of managing your time

- Time management can sometimes seem like a mystery. How can we possibly get everything done and still have any time left over to enjoy our lives? There is a solution and it's surprisingly simple, but it takes more than just learning a few tips. By changing how you think about time and developing new habits, you can regain control permanently. Hi, I'm Dave Crenshaw, and in decades of consulting and coaching organizations of every size, from Fortune 500 companies to freelancers, I've developed a simple and effective approach to time management. It's more than a quick fix. It's a top to bottom solution. In this course, we'll cover the three principles of productivity: space, mind, and time. Meaning you'll have a more organized workspace, increased mental clarity and focus, and a schedule built for productivity and balance. If you follow these principles, you can regain dozens of hours of free time every single month for years to come. Millions have used these strategies to regain control of their time while having greater flexibility to enjoy their lives, and I look forward to sharing it with you.

Download courses and learn on the go

Watch courses on your mobile device without an internet connection. Download courses using your iOS or Android LinkedIn Learning app.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The power of managing your time - Time Management Fundamentals Video Tutorial | LinkedIn Learning, formerly Lynda.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this video, learn the power of managing your time and about the principles that create lasting change. There is a solution to time management. The three principles of productivity (space, mind, and time) can help you regain hours of free time.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sustainable Practices Around the World | Sustainability | Aayush Supal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
15 Best Sustainability Podcasts You Need to Listen To & Why

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Looking for podcasts on sustainability? Read our list for the best sustainability podcasts on environmental justice and sustainable innovation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
19 Of The Best Sustainability Documentaries To Watch For A Better World

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Through the best sustainability documentaries on Netflix, Hulu, or whatever your streaming platform of choice, sustainability-minded filmmakers…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 Best Books About Sustainability: The Future Is Green

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Dive into our top 10 books about sustainability to inspire eco-conscious living. Gain insights, tips, and guidance for a greener future and make a positive impact on the environment.

# data[].attributes.body
The Gifts of Imperfection. By Brené Brown

# data[].attributes.body
44 Laws of Peace

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The first 20 hours -- how to learn anything | Josh Kaufman | TEDxCSU

# data[].attributes.body
It was shared by one of the hosts in the expert live sessions.

https://www.apitchdeck.com/blog/from-trl-1-to-9-an-entrepreneurs-roadmap-to-technology-maturity-and-funding-success

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Professional Pitch Deck Help for Startups and Investors

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Introduction

As an entrepreneur, it's important to understand the different stages of technology development and how they can impact your startup's growth, funding, and success. One key framework for assessing technology maturity is the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale, which was originally developed by NASA in the 1970s and later adopted by the European Union and other organizations worldwide. The TRL scale ranges from 1 to 9, with each level representing a different stage of technological maturity. In this blog post, we'll provide an overview of each TRL level, along with real-world examples of companies at various stages of the scale. We'll also compare the US and EU perspectives on TRL and discuss its relevance for entrepreneurs seeking funding and investment.

Please note that the examples provided are based on the information available as of September 2021, and the TRL levels of these startups may have evolved since then, as they continue to progress and advance their technologies.

TRL 1: Basic Research

At TRL 1, the technology is in its earliest stages, with only basic principles and scientific research available. Startups at this stage typically focus on exploring potential applications for their technology and conducting preliminary tests.

Examples:

TRL 2: Applied Research

At TRL 2, the technology concept is more defined, and applied research is conducted to investigate its feasibility. Startups at this stage work on refining their ideas and determining whether the technology can be developed further.

Examples:

TRL 3: Proof of Concept

TRL 3 marks the stage where a startup has a working proof of concept for their technology. This involves demonstrating its functionality in a laboratory setting or through simulations.

Examples:

TRL 4: Technology Validation

At TRL 4, the technology has been validated in a lab setting, and startups are now focused on refining it further and preparing for real-world testing.

Examples:

TRL 5: Technology Demonstration

TRL 5 involves demonstrating the technology in a relevant environment, such as a pilot project or a small-scale test site. Startups at this stage work on optimizing their technology and gathering data to support future development.

Examples:

TRL 6: Prototype System

At TRL 6, a startup has developed a prototype system that is fully functional and ready for testing in a relevant environment. This stage often involves scaling up the technology and refining its design.

Examples:

TRL 7: System Demonstration

TRL 7 represents the stage where the technology has been successfully demonstrated in an operational environment. Startups at this level are focused on refining their systems and preparing for large-scale implementation.

Examples:

TRL 8: System Integration

At TRL 8, the technology has been integrated into a complete system, and startups are focused on optimizing performance, reliability, and manufacturability.

Examples:

TRL 9: Fully Deployed Technology

TRL 9 marks the stage where the technology is fully mature and has been deployed in its intended operational environment. Startups at this level have a proven product that has been successfully commercialized.

Examples:

US vs EU Perspectives on TRL

While both the US and EU recognize the importance of TRL in assessing technology maturity, there are some differences in how the two regions approach its implementation. In the US, TRL is widely used by government agencies like NASA and the Department of Defense to evaluate the readiness of technologies for funding and adoption. In the EU, TRL is more commonly applied in the context of research and innovation funding programs, such as Horizon Europe.

Relevance for Entrepreneurs

Understanding TRL and its implications for your startup can be crucial in securing funding and investment. A higher TRL can make your technology more attractive to investors, as it demonstrates a lower risk profile and greater likelihood of commercial success. Additionally, many funding programs, particularly those focused on research and development, require startups to provide their TRL as part of the application process. By being aware of your technology's TRL and actively working to advance it, you can improve your chances of securing the resources needed to grow your startup and achieve success.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale is a valuable tool for entrepreneurs looking to assess the maturity of their technology and identify areas for further development. By understanding the different TRL stages and working to advance your technology along the scale, you can increase your chances of securing funding and investment, ultimately leading to greater success in the competitive startup landscape.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
From TRL 1 to 9: An Entrepreneur's Roadmap to Technology Maturity and Funding Success - Professional Pitch Deck Help for Startups and Investors

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore the Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) and their impact on funding and investment opportunities for startups. Learn from real-world examples and uncover the importance of TRL in the entrepreneurial journey.

# data[].attributes.body
I've found this incredible video, highly recommended to deepen the understanding of the early adopters and the ideas validation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaoVWtLX038

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Validate your business idea: THE LEAN STARTUP by Eric Ries

# data[].attributes.body
drawio is a good free tool for diagram sketching

mermaid js is also another good prototyping tool

# data[].attributes.body
For design(app) based prototypes, i think figma and its image-to-design plugin and claude.ai esp for designs is very helpful.

# data[].attributes.body
Prototyping Methods: Videos that cover specific methods like "paper interfaces," "storyboards," or "physical models" can be found on design-focused channels and will help you learn about various approaches to creating a prototype.

# data[].attributes.body
Prototyping is an important part of design thinking as it starts to make our ideas real. Watch Jeremy Suisited and learn more.

# data[].attributes.body
Paper Prototyping: The Fast and Easy Way to Design and Refine User Interfaces by Carolyn Snyder: A practical, how-to guide that prepares you to create and test low-fidelity paper prototypes to save time and money early in the design process.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.youtube.com/live/PR0u_Y7d63E?si=DkRRcjaEgu5ZCFZN

Exygy is leading this training for the White House's Opportunity Project, which puts data and digital tools in the hands of of families, communities, and local leaders. Human centered design process, and focus on needs finding and user testing.

# data[].attributes.body
Helpful in products design.

# data[].attributes.body
How to deal with prototyping issues, techniwurs and tips

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Prototyping like a Pro – How to prototype in a professional services environment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ep. 32, Democracy and Environmental Sustainability Conference

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Paper Prototyping: How to Create & Usability-Test Simple UI Prototypes (40 min tutorial)

# data[].attributes.body
cliamteeducation.org and climateplympiad.org for deeper knowledge on sustainable design

# data[].attributes.body
Getting trouble prototyping? Watch this video.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Create, Design, and Manufacture a Product from Scratch

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032120304330

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Lecture 1 - How to Start a Startup (Sam Altman, Dustin Moskovitz)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What is Ideation – and How to Prepare for Ideation Sessions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Unlike the all too familiar designer’ s nightmare of staring at a blank page unable to conjure up ideas from the creative ether, Design Thinking’s first two modes, Empathise and Define, gives you a sol

# data[].attributes.body
Watch a looot of Alex Hormozi, thank me later:)

# data[].attributes.body
I recommend SharkTank and Dragon's Den, the entrepreneurs detail their journeys from ideation to market-readiness

# data[].attributes.body
I recommend Atingi website for those in smart farming. enroll and learn more about smart farming

# data[].attributes.body
its a podcast! “How to Save a Planet”, episode Building Community Resilience .uff i listened to this while walking and it hit me hard. it’s all about local action, empathy, and listening before building, totally what we need in our projects.

# data[].attributes.body
QGIS (open-source mapping platform), itsfree, simple once you learn it, and perfect for turning satellite data into real maps. i use it for fire sentinel and it honestly changed how i see spatial data,it makes the invisible visible.

# data[].attributes.body
“NASA Earth Observations: Eyes on the Planet” from NASA Earth YouTube,

i love this one because it shows how space data can actually protect life on the ground. super visual and easy to connect with projects like fire sentinel :)

# data[].attributes.body
“Designing Regenerative Futures” from Ella Saltmarshe.... uff this article helped me understand that sustainability is not just about reducing harm but about creating systems that heal. short, clear, and full of hope

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
keep moving forward #motivation #moto #keepmovingforward #mindset

# data[].attributes.body
Techno-Fix (New Society Publishers, 2011) shows that negative unintended consequences of technology are inherently predictable and unavoidable, techno-optimism is completely unjustified, and modern technology, in the presence of continued economic growth, does not promote sustainability, but hastens collapse.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Michael Huesemann, Joyce Huesemann - Techno-Fix_ Why Technology Won't Save Us or the Environment-New Society Publishers (2011)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How To Take Criticism Without Getting Defensive

# data[].attributes.body
Maximiliano Sotomayor, who is our beloved systems thinking expert, shared with me this system mapping article: https://medium.com/disruptive-design/tools-for-systems-thinkers-systems-mapping-2db5cf30ab3a

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Systems thinking requires a shift in our perception of the world around us. In order to build a new multidimensional thinking framework, we need to discover the dynamics and interconnectedness of the systems at play. This is where systems mapping tools come in - they provide an exploration of the system, communicate understanding, and allow for the identification of knowledge gaps, intervention points, and insights.

As discussed in Chapters 1 and 2 of this series, I have been teaching systems thinking in relation to activated change making for years. While there are some great digital tools out there (like Kumu), every budding and experienced systems thinker will need to employ analog systems mapping tools as well. When I say 'analog,' I mean pen-and-paper style - no digital products - so get your writing hands ready.

It's funny how hard some people find it to get back to analog approaches. I have tested and refined these quick systems mapping tools, and use them constantly in my own practice, and with the UnSchool and Disrupt Design. I have tried to be as articulate as possible in explaining these approaches, but to be honest, I am usually explaining while people are doing, making it a very iterative learning experience. I would suggest that once you have read all of this, give a quick systems map a go to experience the discovery process first hand. Here is an example:

I always get people to start exploring complex problem arenas with a cluster map, or as I like to call it, a 'brain dump' map, which is what it feels like you're doing.

It's important to note that while similar, this is not a mind map. There's nothing wrong with mind maps, it's just the approach you take for a mind map is very different to the approach and objective of a systems map.

In a cluster map, we throw a topic, question, or arena down in the middle of a page, and then free associate nodes (elements within the system). There are no wrong or right words or ideas here, as everything is interconnected. We quickly move from one part to another, diving into an exploration of the elements that make up a system along with all the relationships and connections that feed into its maintenance.

Once all the elements, agents, actors, nodes, components (whatever you want to call the parts you place on the page) are mined, the key part is drawing the connections and relationships between them. This is where you can start to tease out all the non-obvious parts and seek to develop a more complex view of the system you are exploring.

From this, insights can be drawn, and potential interventions points can be identified. While it may look simple (and it really is, once you get into it), I find many people get stuck and want to impose order on the chaos that is a dynamic system. So one of the key learnings here is to suspend the need to solve and embrace the chaos of the system. Relationships are messy, so the map should also be a complete mess. I encourage a the messier the better approach, as this shows that you have had one insight lead to another in your exploration of relationships and interconnections.

Another thing I've noticed is that many people feel the need to have a 'right' or 'wrong' answer to the exploration. However, cluster mapping is just that - an experience of exploration, trying to mine the collective knowledge of you and/or your team to find out what's going on in the arena you're seeking to understand or make change within.

Cluster mapping only takes a few minutes to do, and is a critical part of the Disruptive Design Method.

1. Grab a large piece of paper and some markers/pens (different colors help, as you can start to use them to explore the different elements of the system).

2. Start by identifying what you want to explore and writing it in the center of the page (this could be 'education,' 'voter apathy,' or 'childhood obesity,' for example).

3. Make sure everyone working on the map has a pen (this is not a scribbling experience where one person writes what others say; it should be that all people are contributing to the map).

4. Start to throw down everything that relates to the arena you are exploring (there is no wrong concept, word, or idea here - just free associate all the parts that make up the system).

5. Once you have a page full of random works/concepts/nodes, then start to draw connections between them (here is where you can create a key and use different colors to define different flows, such as 'power' and 'government').

6. Keep going until you have filled your page and it's a complete mess or intermingled lines and words. Then, start to identity the key areas of interconnection and seek to define three new insights that have evolved from the exercise.

Here are the basic steps to doing a cluster map:

Once you have done a cluster map, you can move onto more detailed maps, such as Interconnected Circles mapping.

Practicing systems thinkers know how hard it can be to get to the root causal relationship of a problem area, let alone define what the area of intervention is. I adapted the Interconnected Circles Map to help people think through and explore systems. It's an individual map that allows for a deep exploration of relationships and cause and effect in systems dynamics.

This sounds way more complicated than it is. The map should empower you to see the parts and the whole along with the relationships. It enables a synthesizing of the key flows in the system, and provides a tool for enabling emergence.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tools for Systems Thinkers: Systems Mapping

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Systems thinking requires a shift in our perception of the world around us. In order to build a new multidimensional thinking framework, we need to discover the dynamics and interconnectedness of the...

# data[].attributes.body
Read Half Earth 2016

this book highlights realistic ways to save the biodiversity of our planet

# data[].attributes.body
Please do watch A Life on Our Planet 2020

this film narrates human activities has shaped our planet and how best can we protect it.

# data[].attributes.body
Hear podcast on climate literacy in rural communities how it helps with climate education in society.

# data[].attributes.body
perplexity.ai is my go to for research and analyzing patterns

# data[].attributes.body
Read the UN articles around your impact zones for knowledge.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Myles Munroe - People with a VISION are very Narrow #motivation #vision #success #shorts

# data[].attributes.body
I’d highly recommend a podcast I’ve been listening to lately — it explores how climate change influences global dynamics across business, politics, and society. It’s been eye-opening to see just how interconnected everything truly is.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Podcast · MSCI ESG Research LLC · News and investment research brought to you weekly covering major market trends and new research insights. With topics ranging from climate impact on investment portfolios, corporate actions, trending investment topics, and emerging sustainability issues, hosts Mike Disabato and Bentley Kaplan of MSCI ESG Research walk through the latest news and research that is top of mind for the week.

# data[].attributes.body
Feeling unmotivated? Try watching this video.

# data[].attributes.body
Read the book on Atomic Habits, which promotes the application of starting new ideas!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to talk to the worst parts of yourself | Karen Faith | TEDxKC

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Once an ideation session like brainstorming, brainwriting or cheatstorming has finished, it's time to collect, categorize, refine and narrow down the best idea, solution or strategy. Here are the best selection methods. They're Sticky note voting, the Four Categories method, the Bingo Selection method and the Idea Affinity Diagram. The Six Thinking Hats and the Now Wow How Matrix will help you apply the idea criteria, which are right for your current design challenge. Here, you'll learn how to work in the best way through the pile of ideas which you've generated and select the best ones.
Converging

At some point in your ideation session, you'll have reached a critical mass of ideas, and it will become unproductive to try to keep pushing for more. This is different from the natural creative slumps that teams experience throughout ideation sessions, and means it is a good point to stop and focus on pruning. This is referred to as the "convergent stage"-where ideas are evaluated, compared, ranked, clustered and even ditched in an attempt to pull together a few great ideas to act on. Hang onto those unused ideas, though; they may prove useful in future ideation sessions as stokers or idea triggers. Right now, the aim is spotting potential winners, or combinations of winning attributes, from a number of ideas.

Dot Voting
Best practice:

You write all of the ideas which have been generated in the ideation session down on individual sticky notes.

Then you give all participants a number of votes (around 3-4 should do) to choose and write down their personal favorite ideas.

Participants vote by using stickers or simply using a marker to make a dot on the ideas they like.

You can also use variations in color in order to let participants vote on which ideas they like the most or which they dislike the most.

You can invent other voting attributes when it makes sense.

This process allows every member to have an equal say in the shortlisted ideas.

Print and download our sticky note voting template to help you get started using the method:

Four Categories Method

The Four Categories method entails dividing ideas according to their relative abstractness, ranging from the most rational choice to the "long shot". The four categories are: the rational choice, the most likely to delight, the darling and the long shot.

Best practice: Ideation participants decide upon one or two ideas for each of these categories. This method ensures that the team covers all grounds, from the most practical to the ideas with the most potential to deliver innovative solutions.

Do you want to learn how you can get started using the Four Categories method? Then download and print our template:

Bingo Selection

Best practice: Similarly, the Bingo Selection method inspires participants to divide ideas. However, in this method, the facilitator should encourage the participants to split ideas according to a variety of form factors, such as their potential applications in a physical prototype, a digital prototype and an experience prototype.

Print and download our Bingo Selection template to help you get started using the method:

Idea Affinity Diagrams

Use affinity diagrams or similar activities to cluster similar ideas together and make connections between them that will help you uncover patterns or themes that may be promising.

Best practice: Paste up all the ideas which you've collected in your ideation sessions-and then, as a group, make sense of these by clustering ideas which share attributes, eliminating duplicates and forming idea themes or concept themes. This will help you in the process of selecting the best ideas or idea themes.

Print and download our Affinity Diagram template to help you get started using the method-which you can see in action in the above picture:

Idea Selection Criteria

You should ensure that ideas that have made it through sticky note voting and other elimination exercises in the convergence sessions (just described above) are evaluated, based on these selection criteria, and you should rank them according to how they meet these criteria. These idea selection criteria will help you at this stage to provide a guide for choosing ideas which fit well into your goals, your research about your users and their needs and your insights about them which you've condensed into your problem statement -which is also called your Point of View.

Does it fit with people's needs? Is there demand?

Does it really meet the goals set initially?

Does it meet the requirements in our problem statement/Point Of View?

Does it answer our "How Might We" questions in a satisfying way?

Is it different enough from what exists to add additional value?

Do we have access to the budget-enough to implement even partially?

Is the technology available?

Will we be able to roll it out with the available resources?

Can we get approval from decision makers?

Print and download our Idea Selection Criteria template to help you get started considering the most important criteria when you select your best ideas.

Now Wow How

The Now Wow How Matrix provides a mechanism for evaluating ideas on a scale of:

Now: ideas that can be implemented immediately but which lack novelty.

Wow: ideas that can be implemented and are innovative.

How: ideas that could possibly be implemented in the future.

The Now Wow How Matrix should contain two axes, with the vertical representing difficulty of implementation and the horizontal axis representing the degree of innovation. On the 2 x 2 grid formed, the three categories are located at the bottom left (now), bottom right (wow) and top right (how), with the top-left block left blank to represent ideas which are impossible to implement. It provides an easy-to-follow formula for evaluating the viability of ideas as well as their innovativeness. Provide participants with colored dot stickers, each representing one of the categories, allowing group participants to vote on where they think ideas should be pitched on the scale. You can also develop custom graphs with finer levels of gradation for a broader scale assessment of the many ideas.

Print and download our Now Wow How template to help you get started using the method:

Idea Selection - Apply Edward De Bono's Six Thinking Hats

The Six Thinking Hats technique provides a range of thinking styles to apply to idea selection. It involves purposely evaluating and considering ideas through various mindsets so as to uncover the widest range of possible angles on the ideas being assessed. It helps break participants out of their set styles of thinking and forces them to look at the ideas being assessed from multiple viewpoints and assessment criteria.

White Hat: The White Hat calls for information which is known or needed. It's all about this: "The facts, and nothing but the facts."

Yellow Hat: The Yellow Hat symbolizes optimism, confidence and brightness. Under this hat, you explore the positives and probe for value and benefit.

Black Hat: The Black Hat is all about judgment. When you put on this hat, you're the devil's advocate where you try to figure out what or why something may not work. It's now your job to spot the difficulties and dangers and ask where things might go wrong. This is probably the most powerful and useful of the hats, but it's a problem if you overuse it.

Red Hat: The Red Hat calls for feelings, hunches and intuition. When you use this hat, you should focus on expressing emotions and feelings and share fears, likes, dislikes, loves and hates.

Green Hat: The Green Hat focuses on creativity: the possibilities, alternatives and new ideas. It's your opportunity to express new concepts and new insights.

Blue Hat: The Blue Hat is used to manage the thinking process. It's your control mechanism that ensures the Six Thinking Hats guidelines are observed.

Print and download our Six Thinking Hats template to help you get started using the method:

When assessing ideas, we can use the Six Thinking Hats to evaluate them from a range of angles in order to avoid cognitive bias in decision making and to evaluate ideas fairly, based on a holistic outlook.

Lean Startup Machine Idea Validation Board

Lean methodologies-with their roots in Toyota's production system-are making their way into every sector due to their light footprint and potential to speed up decision-making and project cycles dramatically. The crux of the methodology centers on testing assumptions as early as possible in order to avoid venturing too far down the wrong paths. The Lean Startup Machine is a three-day intensive series of workshops by Trevor Owens, which emerged out of the movement instigated by Eric Ries' book Lean Startup. The Lean Startup Machine Validation Board is a tool which enables the validation of ideas based on the lean startup methodology.

The premise of this approach is starting off with a set of related hypotheses:

We interrogate and test these three related hypotheses. If we cannot validate them, we pivot on them so as to move towards a more valid set of hypotheses that will help build an innovation foundation, one which is viable and addresses a real need.

Project Cycle Example

Google Ventures 5-day design sprints series details their process of rapidly assessing new opportunity areas, generating ideas, selecting those ideas and then testing them. Their Day 2: Diverge and Day 3: Decide serve as illustrations of how ideation's divergent and convergent phases play themselves out in a technology startup environment.

What to Do With the Winning Ideas?

With a series of ideas (the third stage in the Design Thinking process) ready to be prototyped (the fourth stage in Design Thinking) for further testing (the fifth stage) and validation, you're ready to move on to these next stages of the Design Thinking journey. Make sure you have significantly different ideas that make it to the last few so that you can test and explore a few different routes to a winner. Ideas that are very similar can be batch prototyped, with some variation in prototype iterations.

The five stages of Design Thinking are not sequential steps, but different "modes" you can put yourself in, to iterate on your problem definition, ideas or prototype, or to learn more about your users at any point during the project.

The Take Away

Once an ideation session has finished, it's time to collect, categorize, refine and narrow down the best idea, solution or strategy. Here, we've explained how to use the best selection methods: Dot voting, the Four Categories method, the Bingo Selection method and the Idea Affinity Diagram. The Six Thinking Hats and the Now Wow How Matrix will help you apply the idea criteria which are right for your current design challenge. These methods will help you work through the pile of ideas which you've generated and select the best ones, which you can start prototyping and testing.

References & Where to Learn More

Haakon Faste, Chainstorming! Cheatstorming! 2013.

Dave Gray, , 2010.

Dave Gray, How-Now-Wow Matrix.

Edward De Bono, Six Thinking Hats.

Eric Ries, The Lean Startup Book, Movement, Methodology.

Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky and Braden Kowitz: Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days, 2016

Jake Knapp, The product design sprint: diverge (day 2), Google Ventures, 2012.

Jake Knapp, The product design sprint: decide (day 3), Google Ventures, 2012.

Lean Enterprise Institute, What is Lean?.

IDEA HCD CONNECT, Participatory Co-Design, The HCD Toolkit.

Images

Hero Image: © amnestystudent, CC BY 2.0.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Select the Best Idea by the End of an Ideation Session

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn how to use the best selection methods such as Dot voting, the Four Categories method, the Bingo Selection method and the Idea Affinity Diagram to select the best ideas after an ideation session.

# data[].attributes.body
gemini deep research it's good :)

# data[].attributes.body
For those interested in circularity, you will find this report helpful.