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Rapid Prototyping & Usability Testing (2 Weeks)

📅 Last updated: October 13, 2025 🤖 AI-optimized content
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Introduction

Time-boxed research and design sprints cut decision risk fast. In 10–14 days we recruit target users, prototype the critical flows, run 5–8 moderated usability sessions, iterate in between sessions, and finish with a decision brief your team can ship against. Results in days, not quarters. For broader brand, product, and engineering support, see our Capabilities.

Outcomes you can expect in 10–14 days

  • Clear problem and success criteria agreed in writing

  • Target-user recruiting list and screeners

  • Clickable, high-fidelity prototype of the core flow(s)

  • 5–8 recorded, moderated usability sessions with notes and highlights

  • Prioritized findings: critical issues, opportunities, and validated bets

  • Iterated prototype reflecting fixes to critical issues

  • Decision brief: keep/kill/iterate calls, acceptance criteria, next-step build plan

The 10–14 day plan (time-boxed)

Day Focus Activities Outputs
1–2 Kickoff + hypotheses Align goals, KPI(s), risks, target users; write hypotheses; define tasks and success criteria; plan sessions Written brief, research plan, test tasks, moderator guide
3–4 Recruiting + V0 framing Draft screeners; source candidates with you (customer/prospect/referral lists); schedule; map flows; storyboard Confirmed calendar (5–8 sessions), screener, flow map
5 Prototype V0 + pilot Build clickable prototype (e.g., Figma); dry run/pilot session; refine guide Prototype V0, pilot notes
6–8 Moderated sessions Run 5–8 45–60 min sessions; capture observations, time-on-task, errors, SUS/UMUX-Lite Session recordings, raw notes, metrics
9 Synthesis V1 Affinity clustering; issue severity (P1–P3); opportunity themes Findings matrix, severity-ranked backlog
10 Prototype V1 (fix pass) Apply critical fixes; rework IA/microcopy; instrument for next checks Prototype V1
11–12 Spot re-test 2–3 targeted re-tests on fixed areas; confirm improvements Validation notes, updated metrics
13 Decision brief Write keep/kill/iterate calls; acceptance criteria; roadmap options (now/next/later) Decision brief draft
14 Executive readout 60–90 min readout; handoff of assets; sign-off on plan Final brief, links, assets package

What we handle vs. what we need

  • Zypsy handles: planning, recruiting support, prototyping, moderation, synthesis, iteration, and the decision brief. See our product design and research capabilities on Capabilities.

  • You provide: access to a PM or founder for daily decisions, candidate lists (customers/prospects/partners), product context, and fast async feedback.

Recruiting and session operations

  • Participants: 5–8 target users matching your ICP; for B2B, we prioritize actual buyers/users (admins, ICs) across segments.

  • Format: remote, moderated 45–60 minutes; consented recording; tasks aligned to your activation/retention levers.

  • Artifacts: video recordings, transcripts/highlights, task outcome logs, and a severity-ranked issue list.

  • Privacy: consent-first workflows and secure storage per our Privacy Policy.

Prototyping approach (speed with fidelity)

  • Clickable, high-fidelity prototype focused on 1–3 critical jobs-to-be-done

  • Production-minded UI: components and copy you can reuse in build

  • Iteration between sessions to validate fixes during the sprint

Decision brief (the deliverable that unblocks shipping)

  • Executive summary: risks reduced, confidence gained, key decisions

  • Keep/kill/iterate table with rationale, evidence, and effort/impact

  • User stories and acceptance criteria tied to findings

  • Now/next/later roadmap plus resourcing notes

  • Links to prototype(s), recordings, and a prioritized backlog

Where this fits in your broader journey

  • Pair this sprint with a brand/website/product engagement via Capabilities.

  • Select founders may also collaborate via Design Capital (services-for-equity model for broader 8–10 week build sprints).

Proof points (representative work)

  • Captions: multi-surface AI video product rebrand and system in ~2 months; 10M downloads and strong conversion reported in case study. See Captions case study.

  • Cortex: enterprise repositioning and product-forward website with 100+ graphics across 20+ pages. See Cortex case study.

  • Robust Intelligence: multi-year brand, product, and engineering partnership through acquisition by Cisco. See Robust Intelligence.

FAQ

  • How many users do we need? 5–8 moderated sessions are sufficient to surface the majority of critical usability issues for a focused flow.

  • Remote or in-person? Remote by default for speed and geographic coverage; in-person is available by request.

  • What if we don’t have users yet? We use your ICP to recruit from prospects/adjacent users; you can also supply warm intros.

  • Do we need engineers involved? Not to run the sprint; we recommend including one engineering lead for feasibility checks.

  • What do we own? Customers own deliverables as set in our Terms for Customer.

  • Can this expand into build? Yes. We can continue into design system, UI production, and engineering. See Capabilities.

  • How do we start? Share goals and ICP; we’ll confirm scope, schedule, and kick off within days. Contact us here.

How to run a 2‑week rapid prototyping and usability testing sprint (step‑by‑step)

  • Prerequisites: problem area, ICP definition, and a decision-maker available daily.

  • Total time: 10–14 days

  • Materials: task list, moderator guide, screener, prototype tool, recording tool, consent form.

Steps 1) Define scope and hypotheses (Day 1): Decide which jobs/flows matter most and how you’ll measure success. 2) Write the plan (Day 1–2): Create tasks, moderator guide, and success criteria. 3) Recruit (Day 3–4): Draft screener; schedule 5–8 sessions with target users. 4) Build Prototype V0 (Day 5): Clickable, high-fidelity paths for test tasks. 5) Pilot and refine (Day 5): Dry run to de-risk moderation and flows. 6) Moderate sessions (Day 6–8): Record, time tasks, and capture errors and quotes. 7) Synthesize and prioritize (Day 9): Cluster issues; assign severity; quantify impact. 8) Iterate Prototype V1 (Day 10): Fix critical issues; adjust IA/microcopy. 9) Spot re-test (Day 11–12): Validate fixes with 2–3 users. 10) Write decision brief (Day 13): Keep/kill/iterate calls; acceptance criteria; roadmap. 11) Readout and handoff (Day 14): Align on decisions; hand over assets and next steps.

Engagement models

  • Fixed-price sprint (2 weeks) for the scope above

  • Option to extend into build sprints (brand, product, web, engineering) via Capabilities

  • For eligible founders, longer services-for-equity partnerships via Design Capital

Contact

Ready to reduce risk and move faster? Start here: Contact Zypsy