"Prototypes aren't deliverables, they're influencers. AI changes how prototypes are used, but with these caveats. AI prototypes don't just test usability, they're changing product direction, speed, and design process. But as Sir John Templeton rightfully warned: "The four most expensive words in the English language are: this time it's different." It always feels different when the tooling is shiny and everyone's giddy with possibility."
"The first time I watched a prototype change the trajectory of a team, it wasn't the most polished. It wasn't even particularly right. But it sparked something - a glimpse of the future that wasn't real, but convincing enough to make everyone lean in to the idea, and we all moved faster afterward. This is a moment designers know. Someone drops a prototype into the Slack thread - polished, slick, even a little too good."
AI prototypes transform prototypes into influential artifacts that shape product direction, accelerate development, and alter the design process rather than serving solely as usability tests. Shiny tooling and rapid iteration create excitement and a sense of novelty, but higher speed can obscure clarity and lead to premature commitment. Convincing but imperfect prototypes can make teams align around a plausible future, increasing momentum and throughput. Designers often see polished prototypes take hold because they feel inevitable rather than final. Teams need to balance prototype persuasiveness with careful evaluation to avoid mistaking momentum for correctness and to preserve thoughtful decision-making.
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