What a Prototype Has to Get Right
Before the build starts, our senior engineers decide which parts the full product will depend on, such as how people sign in or how the prototype reads your data. We build those parts the way the product will need them and keep the rest simple for the test. You'll know from the start which parts carry forward.
Decide What to Prove Before You Build
We start by deciding what the prototype needs to prove and who will try it, in a Discovery Workshop with your key people, in person when possible. You leave with a plan, an estimate, and a recommended tech stack.
If the discovery doesn't provide value, you don't have to pay for it.
What Rapid Prototyping With Trailhead Delivers
Clickable Mockups
Our designers use AI design tools to create interactive, clickable mockups for web and mobile, so stakeholders can click through the screens and change their minds before we write any code.
Working Proof of Concept
Our engineers use AI coding tools to turn the clickable designs into a working proof of concept (POC) in real code, so you can put it in front of users while the idea is still fresh. Senior engineers decide what the code has to get right to carry forward.
User Testing
We put the prototype in front of the people who will use it, watch what they do, and change it before the next round.
Integration Planning
We plan how the prototype will connect to your existing systems and data, such as your logins, customer records, or current APIs, so a successful test doesn't hit a wall when it's time to integrate.
Results Summary & Full-Build Estimate
You end with a working prototype, a summary of what users did, and an estimate for the full build to take to whoever approves the budget.
Prototype to MVP
When the idea proves out, we can grow the prototype into a minimum viable product (MVP), adding the security, automated tests, and production hosting a prototype usually skips.
Who Does the Work
A senior engineer leads the work with one of our designers, and your team stays involved at every review. You own all of the code, designs, and documentation.
You'll see working screens at each check-in, so you can change direction while it's still cheap to do so.
What Happens After the Prototype
If the idea proves out, we can keep building it into a full product through Feature Development, or hand the prototype and plan to your team. If it doesn't, you've paid for a prototype instead of a full build, and you have the user feedback that shows why.
Tell us about the idea you want to test, and we'll talk it through with you on a call.
