Prototyping Goals

Why am I creating a prototype?

The type of feedback that will be most helpful for refining and improving my product idea is:

• If the design and the material would feel more “breathable” and less bulky
• The location of the locking cable mechanism on the helmet
• Their body language when they see a picture of a traditional bike helmet in comparison to my prototype

Prototype Features

What product features will I prototyping? And why? What do I hope to learn from testing this feature?

• The inner build of the helmet along with its material. I want to focus on the areas on the head where people generally face a pain point while wearing the helmet. Is it the back side, or is it the sides, or the front? I want to learn where I can create more cushioning and provide better support for making the head movement less restrictive in nature.
• The locking mechanism. I want to know how people will remove their helmet and what’s the easiest place where their hands go so that I can place the locking toggle and cable there. I want to learn how people interact with the helmet once they remove it and by testing it, it will enable me to make the locking process much more faster and save time. People should be able to lock their bikes without looking.
• The design of the strap. Or no strap at all. I want to test how users respond to a strapped helmet in comparison to a adjustable knob design with very minimal strap components. I want to learn if straps add to restricting the movement of the head. I also want to see if a strapless design reduces the safety aspect of the helmet because that is not something I want to compromise on while prototyping.

Prototype Media

How will you prototype and share these features with others to get their feedback?

I plan to create sketches for each of the features I want to prototype. I don’t own a bike helmet or a bike on campus so I’ll borrow Rowan’s helmet in class to sort of demonstrate some of the features and align them with my sketches to better explain to people what I want to test and gauge how they react to it. I want to get their feedback to see if there’s an element of “I want that, I need that”. If it’s just an added functionality then I want the feedback to help me iterate and prototype again.