Why I go for alternatives instead of variations when making and testing protoypes
In short: alternatives that are opposing make you learn more than small tweaks.
When I create prototypes of service ideas, strategies or even just workshop structures + don't create alternatives that have small tweaks. Instead I create very different, opposing alternatives.
This gives me way more learning opportunities, especially in the moments where I'm not yet sure what's the right plan or when want to be surprised.
Later in the process, when I know that one direction is stronger I then play with variations and small tweaks.
A magic thing about creating alternatives, Is that you don't have to make them yourself. You can steal them.
What other nerds say
Therese Fessenden from the Nielsen Norman Group has a nice complete article about the value of this approach which she calls in her article "Parallel Design". Here's a visual that summarizes that approach well:
This article was written and illustrated by hand on a refurbished Remarkable II tablet. The handwritten text was converted to typed text with the Connect Service by Remarkable. If you are curious you can download the original note below.
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