Prototype testing brief
Test a prototype with realistic tasks and representative people to decide what should be built or changed next.
UX research and audits · 45 min · Advanced · 39 questions
Prototype scope
Which decision can this prototype test?
Which visual details are real?
Which interactions are real?
Which content is real?
Which data is real?
Does the prototype represent realistic waiting time?
Which error states are represented?
Which permission states are represented?
Which behavior is absent from the prototype?
Scenarios
What is the starting state for each scenario?
Which goal should each scenario give the participant?
Which information should participants receive?
Which interruption should the scenario include?
Which exception should the scenario include?
What observable point ends the scenario?
Participants
Which user roles should test the prototype?
Which recent behavior should prototype-test participants have?
How much domain knowledge should participants have?
Which access needs must the prototype session support?
Session protocol
How will each task be worded?
How will prototype-test participants be asked to think aloud?
When may the prototype-test facilitator help?
Which follow-up prompts may the facilitator use?
Could comparison order bias the result?
How will prototype-test participants give consent?
How should observers behave?
Which access needs can the prototype support?
Measures
What counts as prototype-task success?
How will we test comprehension?
How will we capture what participants expected?
Which errors will be recorded?
How will recovery from a prototype error be recorded?
How will confidence in the prototype flow be captured?
Why did participants prefer one alternative?
Did participants see value in the concept?
Next step
Which finding would require another iteration?
Which finding would make us discard the concept?
Which finding would justify building the concept?
Which uncertainty requires different evidence?
How to use this brief
Use this brief as a bank of questions for the conversation. Choose what is relevant, mark covered questions as you go, and skip anything that has already been answered.
Use this brief when...
Use when you need to test a prototype with realistic tasks and representative people to decide what should be built or changed next.
Best used as: Research plan
- Category
- UX research and audits
- Discussion time
- 45 minutes
- Depth
- Advanced
- Last updated
- Jul 21, 2026
- Scope
- Design briefs
- Best used as
- Research plan
- Design roles
- UX researcherProduct designer
- Audience
- UX and UI designersProduct designersProduct managersDesign leads
- Platforms
- ResearchWebMobile
- Company type
- B2BB2CEnterprise
- Product stage
- DiscoveryGrowthMature product
- Tags
- ux-research-and-auditsprototype-testingresearch-and-evaluationconcept-prototypeinteraction-validation