I finally have some prototypes. It took some time since I barely sew and wasn't clear on the test. For the non-industrial designers in the audience, I will try to explain what this is all about.

 Prototyping isn't just making an early version of a product. There is a bit of debate about what makes a prototype. Marty Thaler (look him up if you don't know who he is) believes it is anything that advances the conversation: drawings and rough stand-ins all the way to working versions that look just like the product. Different levels of fidelity (more on that later) and when they are used in the process determine what you will learn. A drawing will help align people in a way that words cannot. I sketch model can help explore different ways of solving a problem. White models (models done in a neutral color) can aid research and keep the ideas loose enough to still be shaped. And so on. I don't disagree with Marty on any of this. I do however use the words differently, and while I am going to use my terms, I recognize that this is all a semantic argument. I have yet to meet a designer who doesn't recognize the value of a physical object in the design process. Back to my point.  Prototypes are built to learn. A sketch model or white model are usually about understanding form and scale. Proof of concept models demonstrate the validity of a function. Prototypes are the ultimate test since they are almost identical to the product. There isn't room for them to be questioned since color, form, and material have been chosen. At that point, it is about whether it works, but you still learn from it. There are two things to keep in mind when you are 

What do you want to learn? If you are trying to figure out shape, test shapes and leave color out. This is the issue of fidelity. The more you refine a concept, the less room people have to add. The model will shape the conversation so adding too much detail can limit the conversation or cause the conversation to be about details that do not matter. If you don't want to discuss a detail, leave it out. My friend and mentor Dave Vandenbranden has some excellent thoughts on this, and he may have something to add. The way I think about it is that I am not designing the product, I am designing for research. The research is the important thing. 

The second thing is this: models and prototypes are not precious. I know that is a tough concept. Putting effort into something gives it value, and it is hard to part with value. The problem comes when we are so attached to what we are working on, or an idea that is good, that we cannot let go or allow it to change. Don't be that way. A good idea is a good idea tomorrow as much as today. I squirrel ideas away all the time. The Hemisphere project on this site is an example. If the idea isn't working, stash it away in a sketchbook or on a shelf and wait for the right time. Okay. Enough about the theory, let's talk about my current prototypes. 

What I did was take all the ideas I had about aprons and pulled out the parts I needed to test. Any feature I was unsure about- the clasps were the main one- I had to create a separate version of. In this case, I wanted to know if better clasps were important to professional chefs and if the solutions I am proposing works for them. I am also testing a pouch idea and some pen holding details. If I put them all in the same prototype, I would lose the ability to compare. I also left out the final material in favor of a cheaper one. Everything is in a neutral black/gray so there is no discussion on color. All three of these aprons are built to handle the kitchen (I got help from Andrea and Nicole to make sure) so that people can wear them through service. 

The plan is to get these aprons on some chefs through service. One apron per shift and then a meeting where we talk about what worked and what is missing. From there I will get an idea of which features to eliminate. In this way, I am able to down-select with some confidence about what people like, or I will have some insight into what should be there. It is possible I have completely missed the point on something. We shall see, and that is pretty much the point. Next essay will be about research and how I structured the discussion. 

Stay tuned. 

- Bates