Prototype First methodology

Male 1: One thing that we have really championed is this idea of prototype first, which requires a level of in-house expertise to innovate. Many places utilize what's called the waterfall model for development, where essentially the designers work with the clients, and then things get locked, and then you develop interaction design. That gets locked, and you have these, these set of moving deliverables that then get locked into one to the next and the developers eventually work on it last. And what we found was, that model is good from a project management stand point. It manages risks. What it doesn't do is necessarily guarantee good work. And so by having in-house developers, we're way more aware of the larger context in terms of what they're making, and invites them to think creatively at a much deeper level for the project's success. We've allocated over a quarter of our studio space just to prototyping. For us, even in midtown Manhatten, it's critical. It' reminds us even at the most basic level. We're making experiences, we're not making software, like we make software so that in the end it turns into an experience, and that's great. But it's the experience that actually matters. One of the hardest things, when you look at a prototype, is to try and erase that you've seen it before. And to be very, very hyper-aware as to what people are actually enjoying within the prototype itself, particularly the clients. Not just what they way they want, but what they actually respond to. Same thing with visitors. Visitors will tell you they want X, but when you see them, they're actually doing something very different. And for me, that's key for being able to make the best work possible.