Product

Prototype Canvas

Five boxes that turn one promise from the value proposition into a testable brief.

What it is

Customer's Job-to-be-Done and Customer Benefits, sourced from the Value Proposition Canvas, narrow to a single Customer Promise, then Key Features stripped to the minimum required, and Steps mapping the minimal customer journey with alternatives. The point is faking it before making it — a promise made tangible before anything gets built.

Reach for it when

• A build decision resting on a value proposition nobody has actually shown a customer
• A team gold-plating features before the one promise behind them has been tested
• A concept that needs a fast, cheap version to test, not a full spec

Running it

1. Complete the canvas first, about 20 minutes — Job-to-be-Done and Benefits through to Promise, Key Features and Steps.
2. Sketch screens using a Prototype Sketchpad, roughly 45 minutes, kept to the Key Features named on the canvas.
3. Finalise the screens, about 20 minutes, resisting anything not already on the canvas.
4. Test the prototype with actual customers before deciding what to build next.