Paper Prototype

01 — PRINCIPLES

Grounding

Outcomes

What are the desired outcomes of your collection on the people who visit? What do they learn? What do they question? How are they affected by the collection? Is there an implicit theory of change (i.e., what shifts for the user because they encountered this collection)?

II.

Design

How does the design of the collection work to produce those outcomes? What happens during a visit to your collection?

III.

Components

What does the collection consist of? An introductory essay? Item-level descriptions? A video interview? How do these components fit within the design? How do they contribute to the outcomes?

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Work from the image already in your mind and the materials you've gathered.

Paper + Pen

Draw the Project

Use the paper and pen provided to start sketching.

Entry Point

Where does a reader first land? How do they orient themselves — what tells them where they are and what this thing is?

Calls to Action

How does the reader know what they can do and where they can go from here? Mark the clickable/actionable elements.

Take 6 minutes to put your vision onto paper

Draw and trace your path through the paper version of your exhibit. Point at things as if clicking. Notice where you pause or have to think. Feel free to erase and make changes. It’s really easy to make changes at this point. Even start over if necessary.

Explain your project to a partner: key ideas, how the interface works, how it connects to your stated goals.
Then hand them the paper and ask them to navigate it. Help guide them through your vision.
Feedback questions: Without your narration, could they tell how to assess or move through the project? Where did they get stuck or guess wrong?

Switch roles and repeat for your partner's project.

Pair and share (5 min each)

Group Discussion

(5 min)

Discuss:

What would you change about your project based on the feedback?

Did the prototype produce the kinds of engagement that you hoped for?