Prototype to learn, not to impress
Choose prototype fidelity based on what must be learned in the user test.
The move: match fidelity to the evidence you need. A design sprint prototype has one job: make the user react to the riskiest part of the idea as if it might be real. It does not need production architecture, complete navigation, or every edge case. It needs believable cues around the question you are testing. Too rough Users comment on missing realism instead of showing real behavior. You learn that the prototype is unfinished, not whether the idea works. Too polished The team spends time on irrelevant detail and starts defending the artifact. You learn slower and may become attached…
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