The prototyping mindset

I used to develop new products bottom-up. I'd come up with a perfect, complicated plan, think thoroughly every phase and wouldn't move to the next one until it was perfect.

I would think really hard what I wanted and what it should look like. Then I'd figure out what tools I needed to 3D print. Next, I'd sit down and model everything, 3D print, test, aaand it didn't work. So I threw it away and started all over again. Usually I went through many iterations, before I was able to simplify it enough, so that it sort of resembled what I was trying to achieve, but by the time I got there I was too exhausted to finish it.

The problem was that I was thinking too big and wanted to get everything right from the beginning. Instead of focusing on whether my idea even worked, I stressed over all the little details. Often I'd end up with a beautiful well-rounded tool that didn't work.

It was only time and energy constraints that forced me to change this workflow. Nowadays, when I design a product, I try to do the following:

I come up with an interesting idea. I don't think it through, I don't need to have the final shape in mind or what it should do. Just enough to build something. It needs to be simple enough, that I can test it and see where it leads. The prototype is usually ugly, held together with a duct tape, whatever. At every step, I try to think what's not necessary, what can I leave for later just to see if it leads where I want?

The goal is to have something small that I can test and see where it leads. Maybe it's a dead end, maybe it works and something can be a bit nicer, a bit more user-friendly in the next round. Maybe I'll just take a picture, post it online, and set it aside for a while.

I like how this turns into a mindset for anything in life. I use it at work or to achieve things I'm scared of. Start small, be consistent and see where it takes you. What I love most is that the best ideas come in the process of prototyping; it's when you get in the flow, and it brings enjoyment to things that were daunting before.