Role play prototyping, otherwise known as “wizard-of-oz” prototyping, is the easiest, fastest, cheapest, and most fun way to test out a concept. Next time you’re thinking of launching a new idea, try this simple method to test out your assumptions and get ready for your team to experience some eye-opening insights:
Step 1 Assign roles
First assign someone to play the role of the product, feature, or service you want to launch or improve. Yes, the person will play an inanimate object, a bot, or a live human service provider. Anything goes. Then assign a different, unsuspecting person to play the customer. The key here is that this customer shouldn’t be totally clued in on what the first person is going to try and do. The more clueless, the better. In fact, your very best bet is to choose this second, clueless, person based on whether they have the same demographic or characteristics as real-life people in your target market. Assign a third person to observe and take notes.
Step 2 Begin the test
The first person will have to work the hardest here. They will need to use their imagination to simulate functionality or interact with the second person (the customer) in ways that will best imitate a real life situation. Props can be used as needed, though they shouldn’t need to be elaborate. The third person (the note taker) should be careful not to intervene, give answers, defend positions. Their job is to play a fly on the wall, watching for potential magic moments, or (more frequently) ridiculous disasters. Ideally, this third person should be recording, or at least photographing, the session.
Step 3 Evaluate together
In this last, most important step, all three players will want to discuss some important questions:
Did the “customer” understand what was being offered them?
Did they find it valuable, entertaining, or intriguing? Or not?
Did the person playing “product” succeed at doing what the “customer” was expecting them to do?
In real life, what changes would need to be made to improve what went on?
Once you’ve asked these questions and come up with some answers, you’ll often want to repeat the test with your new tweaks or improvements: simply repeat steps 1-3 again as many times as it takes to get to a version where the “customer” is happy.
The genius of these tests is that they can pinpoint real flaws in your product, while at the same time giving everyone a reason to laugh. This format is particularly good at touching people’s funny bones and reducing the ego-driven decisions that we are prone to making when coming up with new ideas to launch. Try it and watch the magic happen!