Deep into low fidelity prototyping for a project I'm reminded of why this approach is so good, but hard. A bit of a thread...

I work in dual tracks: low fidelity content prototyping and design concepts. One informs the other. They are both 'design'. The content prototype looks throwaway (on purpose, I'll come to that in a mo). The concept looks nothing like a web site or product. Not yet.

The content prototype looks like it's been built quickly. No branding. No layout – except to denote hierarchy. They are invaluable for addressing the following early: Priority. Words. Positioning. Flows and interactions. Getting in front of real people.

Because they are lofi, I get better quicker feedback which is easier to iterate from. Feedback is more honest (because I've not spent much time on it). Also, by looking at content early by writing real words avoids the content mountain that lies ahead of most projects.

Design concepts are – at this stage – mostly for me and not for the client. They aren't a deliverable. Not yet. They are a personal prototype, built to explore different facets of a design. For some people these look like screens. For others, a mess of a collage. Both are right.

At some point, when the questions raised by the content prototype are answered, the concepts are applied and 'layered on'. No multiple versions. No big 'design' to sell. The resultant design will have a bunch of levers that can be tuned as I iterate.

For me, this is a tried and tested process for the last 15 years or so. Whenever I deviate from this, things go wrong. If you try it, be warned, there are a few humps to overcome. 1. By exposing a content prototype early, I'm exposing the 'mess' of design...

that takes coaching (of the client or stakeholder). Not everyone is comfortable with this way of working.
2. Be careful of showing mood boards. They are artefacts of *your* process. Frame them well. Structure them.
3. Careful of hi fidelity stuff creeping into the prototype.