Tool details
Role Play
A quick and tangible way to test an idea or experience it to get into character and act it out.
Tool category:
Tool thumbnail
When to use
When you want to make an idea just tangible enough to elicit a response, whether from you, your team, a partner or whomever you're designing for.
Why you should
It allows to explain a service or product idea by acting out a story or scenario of use.
What you get
Have a common understanding of the user perspective and how a service or product might take place in people's lives.
Steps to take
Decide which of your ideas you want to Role Play and assign the necessary roles to your team members.
Take about 30 minutes to determine the necessary roles, who will play them, and what it is that you’re looking to test—is it a type of interaction, whether a person will respond to a type of product, the effectiveness of a sales pitch?
Costumes and props can be highly effective tools in bringing your Role Play to life. Don’t spend ages on them, but consider making your prototype that much more realistic. You’d be surprised how far just a few details can go toward making a Role Play feel real.
Further reading
Use role playing to express the value of an idea, gradually unrevealing both functional and emotional layers.