Six steps for adapting your design solutions to the right context

5. Start ‘Prototyping’ or ‘trying things out’
Sam’s aforementioned blog really covers a lot of this. Put the options through their paces and try and make something work. Even if there are sometimes some deal-breaking elements in that 10% of missing features that prevent you moving forward, getting to a working prototype with these tools can help in some many ways. The proof of concept can drum up support, provide a base for learning, as well as provide an opportunity to check back in with user stories and pivot if necessary. What this might mean is going back to your researched solutions and going through a one-week testing phase to see how core aspects are working or trying to go to prioritised functions and see how it fits together. In contrast to many bureaucratic tenders (which often go from nothing to tender win, to ‘you’re stuck with it) these are more gradual processes where you might jettison some options sooner rather than later and test some in parallel for longer periods.

If you are having to create something from scratch, start small and aim to tackle some of the key user stories. We felt in a way UNHCR Innovation was able to do this to some extent with our community engagement solutions in emergencies i.e. using loudspeakers on Boda-bodas for delivering messages and engaging with communities

Finally, find the right time to start testing with some users. Testing of even the most nascent solutions can provide some insight in the early stages. Best to keep this lightweight but getting these perspectives early on can really avoid headaches further down the line.