In 2002, my colleague and I became interested in project portfolio management (PPM). We started using PPM as a framework when we consulted for IT organizations. Back then, there were few software tools that supported the kind of thinking that we had—managing the project portfolio from a strategic point of view. To effectively communicate our ideas, I made a "paper prototype" of a simple PPM tool. It proved to be a sales tool that subsequently turned into a commercial product.
The first prototype consisted of a one-page presentation. The page was divided into frames, each frame visualizing one facet of a project's classification information. For example, there were separate frames for risk analysis, strategic positioning, and implementation. It was in no way complete, but it greatly helped us communicate the principle.
The prototype was a kind of storyboard. The idea was that when someone would propose a development project in a company, she would fill in the page. She would then walk through the one-page presentation in a steering group meeting. These decision-makers would have a similar presentation of every proposal and project. The combined information from all the project pages would form a complete project portfolio.
The simple prototype became very powerful. When I presented it at our own seminar, many attendees became interested and wanted to learn more about the product. A journalist asked my permission to publish the "display" in a professional magazine. At that point, there was no working product, only a visual prototype.
We became so encouraged by the positive feedback that we decided to actually begin developing a project portfolio management application. Our first version was a spreadsheet with some programmed functions. Even though it was fairly simple—more like a prototype than full-blown software—some large organizations actually adapted it for real use.
We saw the limitations of an Excel application and decided to create a Web version of our portfolio tool. Now, over 3000 end users in 40 countries use Thinking Portfolio.
In the following years, I used the same development principle: make a prototype that appears as though it would work. An abstract prototype is sufficient for design professionals, but when you want to effectively communicate with potential users, make the prototype more concrete.
Paraphrasing Steve Jobs, people don't know what they want until you show it to them. A prototype is in essence a sales tool. It makes an idea tangible and demonstrates how something might work. You can use it to test people's feelings and expectations, not just functionalities or interfaces. If people love it—as was true in our case—your chances of creating a successful service or product have increased considerably.
Image: Design prototype by Aarni Heiskanen
