--- title: "Prototype Gallery" description: "Teams build low-fidelity mockups of proposed solutions and set them up as an exhibition. Participants tour the stations and write structured feedback notes to guide next iterations." last_updated: "2026-09-07" canonical: "https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/prototype-gallery/" --- # Prototype Gallery Teams build low-fidelity mockups of proposed solutions and set them up as an exhibition. Participants tour the stations and write structured feedback notes to guide next iterations. **Time:** 120 minutes. Source suggests 2 to 4 hours (120 to 240 minutes); UWT standard baseline set at 120 minutes **People:** 6 to 24. Small teams of 3 to 5 people; concurrent whole-room exhibition walk ## Choose this exercise **Purpose:** Collect critical peer feedback on early design concepts to guide concrete revisions. **Use it when:** Use during design sprints, planning workshops, or solution development when teams need to test rough ideas before committing heavy resources. **Skip it when:** Skip if proposals are still purely abstract problem statements with no concrete concepts to model, or when detailed quantitative testing is required instead of peer review. ## Materials and tools - Assorted craft supplies (cardboard, blank paper, pipe cleaners, modeling clay, wooden sticks) - Rolls of adhesive tape and glue sticks (1 per team) - Pairs of scissors (1 to 2 per team) - Markers and colored pens (1 pack per team) - Sticky notes (3 pads per team) - Exhibition tables or wall panels - Printed Station Label and Feedback Card templates (1 set per team) - Countdown timer ## Before participants arrive 1. Arrange tables or wall sections around the perimeter with walking room between them. 2. Distribute craft supplies, scissors, tape, markers, sticky notes, and printed templates to each station. ## Say this to open Welcome. Today we are creating low-fidelity prototypes to make our ideas tangible. A prototype is not a finished product; it is a quick test to see what works and what needs work. In your teams, you will build a rough model, put it on display, and leave constructive notes on each other's stations. Let us get started. ## How to run it ### 1. Set challenge and form teams (10 minutes) State the design objective and feedback criteria clearly. Divide participants into teams of 3 to 5 people. Direct each team to a workstation with prototyping materials. Facilitator starts the countdown timer for the session. ### 2. Build low-fidelity prototypes (55 minutes) Teams work together to build a physical model or storyboard representing their solution. Facilitator tracks time with the countdown timer and announces remaining intervals at 30 minutes and 10 minutes. At the 30-minute check, prompt teams to complete their Station Label template and focus on basic mechanics rather than decoration. ### 3. Mount the exhibition (10 minutes) Teams position their prototype at their assigned station table or wall space. They display their completed Station Label template and set out blank sticky notes for incoming visitors. ### 4. Conduct gallery walk and review (25 minutes) Participants walk freely around the room visiting other stations. At each station, participants inspect the model and leave sticky notes specifying at least one strength and one concrete area for improvement. At least one team member may stay behind to answer questions if they choose, or all may tour. ### 5. Review feedback within teams (10 minutes) Teams return to their home stations. They read all posted notes, group similar suggestions, and agree on two immediate changes they would make in the next iteration. ### 6. Whole-room debrief (10 minutes) Reconvene the full room. Invite one spokesperson from 3 selected teams to share the most useful piece of peer feedback they received and how it shifts their design. ## Debrief questions - Which critique pointed out an assumption your team had overlooked? - How did seeing other models change your perspective on your own solution? - What is the single most urgent change your team will make next? **Finished output:** Physical or digital prototypes with written peer critique notes and prioritized revision plans for each team. ## Remote Create individual frames in a virtual whiteboard tool such as Miro or Mural. Teams paste diagrams, wireframes, or digital mockups onto their frame. During the gallery walk, participants set timers and leave digital sticky notes on adjacent boards. Debrief takes place via main audio channel. ## Hybrid Remote teams maintain dedicated digital canvas stations while in-person teams display physical models. In-person facilitators pair each remote station with an assigned in-person buddy. Buddies photograph physical stations for remote viewers and transcribe written physical notes into digital sticky notes on the canvas so remote participants receive all feedback. ## Access and participation choices - Participants choose their mode of contribution: sketching, building, writing descriptions, or note-taking. - Any participant may pass on public presenting during the gallery walk or debrief without explanation. ## If the session gets stuck **A team focuses too much on making their model pretty rather than functional.** Intervene at the 30-minute check. Ask the team to explain the core action a user takes and direct them to model that mechanic first. **Feedback notes are vague praise like 'looks great' without actionable value.** Remind the room to use the format: 'What works well: [detail]' and 'What to change: [specific suggestion]'. ## Terms used here - Low-fidelity prototype: A fast, rough draft of an idea using simple craft or digital tools to test concepts early. ## Participant material: Station Label and Feedback Template STATION LABEL Project Title: ____________________________________ Team Members: ____________________________________ Core Problem Solved: _____________________________ How It Works: ____________________________________ FEEDBACK GUIDE (Write on sticky notes) - Strength: What works effectively about this concept? - Question: What remains unclear or risky? - Iteration Idea: What specific adjustment would improve it? ## Sources and adaptation Observed in Participatory Methods (participatorymethods.com), which catalogs the activity for design thinking and participatory design. Original individual authorship is unstated. Retained the 7-step sequence and 2 to 4 hour timeframe from the Participatory Methods outline. Established a clear 120-minute facilitation schedule, exact team sizing (3 to 5 people), physical materials inventory, scripted prompts, and a structured feedback card template to ensure actionable critique. Added concrete hybrid pairing roles and facilitator timer checkpoints. [Participatory Methods](https://participatorymethods.com/activities/prototype-gallery/) Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/prototype-gallery/