Towards next-generation design thinking II: Virtual multi-user software prototypes

Abstract

Design thinking benefits from the usage of tangible prototypes to communicate, validate and explore insights and design ideas. For domains dealing with immaterial objects and intangible concepts, however, prototyping is usually not feasible. During the first year of the Scenario-Based Prototyping project we conceptualized an approach for creating tangible prototypes of multi-user software systems based on executable formal models. Through simulation and animation, these models can then be experienced and evaluated by end users. In this chapter, we further elaborate on the implementation of our approach and discuss results of an evaluation comparing the usability of our approach with traditional formal and informal modeling approaches.