Fidelity and Feedback: A mixed methods analysis of prototype testing of children's toys

Abstract

Prototyping is an essential part of the design process that helps determine desirability, feasibility, and viability of a product. Prototype testing with intended end users is important to determine if the current direction of the product meets the user’s needs, if the concept is feasible, and if the model functions correctly. Typically, prototype testing occurs with the intended end user, however, when designing products for children this has not historically been the case. Prototypes of products designed for children were tested with adults. In doing that, the designers missed the opportunity to truly engage with their intended audience and to learn more about their specific wants and needs. Because this field of testing prototypes with children is relatively new, there are multiple areas in which more research could be completed. One research area that deserves more exploration is how the fidelity of physical prototypes affects children’s understanding of the prototypes, and therefore impacts the feedback that the children give the design team. Another area of research that is needed is understanding how to balance prototype testing feedback received from multiple stakeholders; for toy products, this can include stakeholders like children, parents/guardians, experts in the toy industry and/or design field, and the client.This thesis research begins to fill those gaps in the research by using mixed methods to analyze data collected from a project-based design course, which was developing new toy products for children. The data captured were students’ reports of stakeholders’ feedback in testing sessions and the students’ own reflections on the experiences of testing. The relationships between the children’s understanding and feedback and the fidelities of the prototypes in terms of form and function were explored. The feedback from multiple stakeholders is also compared on the types of feedback, how feedback is given, and how feedback is implemented into the design of the product. The results of this thesis will aid designers in making effective and efficient decisions when deciding how to prototype and test children’s products.