Prototyping in the open.

We used to think of prototypes as persuasive objects: the polished little future that helps people imagine what could be. Lately, we have been using them more as questions.

A rough prototype makes an idea specific enough to respond to. Someone can point to what feels wrong, tell you what is missing, or show you the workaround they already use. The prototype does not have to be right to be useful; it has to give the conversation something to hold.

Sharing early takes care. We label what is known, what is guessed, and what is still open. That honesty makes the work more useful to the people shaping it with us.