Engineering rework often comes from unasked questions or using the wrong tool at the wrong fidelity.

Dianna outlines three common prototyping traps:

1. the “ta-da” trap, where teams build polished prototypes to impress stakeholders before the concept is stable, anchoring the team to an early solution
2. the “I’m smarter than cardboard” trap, where engineers skip low-fidelity physical models in favor of analysis even when the real question is usability
3. the “validation theater” trap, where teams default to expensive, validation-level rigs before confirming they’re asking the highest-risk, right question.

All three share a root cause: jumping from idea to build without defining what must be learned and the appropriate fidelity.

She invites listeners to subscribe for a future episode on prototyping done well.

02:08 Trap 1: The 'ta-da' trap

04:19 Trap 2: The "I'm smarter than cardboard" trap

05:43 Trap 3: The "validation theater" trap

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Work with Dianna I help product development teams build quality into the front end when it's cheap and easy, not late when it's expensive and painful.

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Pierce the Design Fog (piercethedesignfog.com): my book on aligning cross-functional teams, defining clear design inputs, and accelerating product success. NIEA Finalist Award, reviewed by PDMA.

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