Prototyping Framework: Empowering Faster Idea Validation at Scale
Company: The Adecco Group
Project Summary
Designed a scalable prototyping framework to help cross-functional teams validate ideas faster using the right tools, even without a designer. Grounded in user research and integrated with the React-based design system.
Timeline & Team
10-week solo project. I led the work end-to-end as both UX researcher and project manager.
Responsibilities
Research
Tool evaluation
Workshop facilitation
Framework design
Internal rollout.
Outcome
75% CSAT
43% onboarding at launch
2 new tools introduced
Company-wide adoption through the design system.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Enabling faster experimentation with real data
As The Adecco Group shifted its innovation strategy to bring more ideas to market, the need for faster validation became urgent. My task was to identify a platform that could accelerate experimentation, ideally by integrating the existing TAG design system and React component library to reduce time from idea to prototype.
At the outset, I faced several unknowns:
What kinds of ideas did teams want to test?
How were teams currently working, and what were the blockers?
What existing tools were in use, and where were the gaps?
To move forward, I started by researching current workflows, gathering data on pain points, and mapping out where a prototyping solution could add the most value.
IMPACT
Empowering Faster Innovation Across Teams
To stay competitive, The Adecco Group aimed to bring ideas to market more quickly by enabling employees to prototype and test concepts independently. The framework I delivered served as a single source of truth, guiding users on when, where, and how to use prototyping tools effectively.
75% Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT):
15 out of 20 users rated the framework with the highest score
Positive Community Feedback:
Employees reported feeling more confident and enabled in their ability to test ideas
Clear Guidance:
Provided structured onboarding and usage pathways, improving adoption and reducing ambiguity
RESEARCH
To design a framework that genuinely fit team workflows, I conducted a survey across disciplines, including designers, developers, product managers, product owners, and business partners. The goal was to understand how prototyping currently fits into their work, where the gaps were, and what tools would truly support experimentation.
Understanding Cross-Functional Needs Around Prototyping
Research Goals
Identify pain points in current prototyping practices
Understand how success is measured across roles
Uncover tool requirements and collaboration needs
Sample Questions by Role
Designers
What are the biggest challenges you face when creating prototypes?
How do you currently validate design ideas before development?
What level of customisation do you need in a prototyping tool?
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
Product owners
How do you determine whether a prototype is successful?
What role does prototyping play in your product development process?
How do you currently communicate prototype insights with stakeholders?
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
Business Partners
How do you determine whether a prototype is successful?
What role does prototyping play in your product development process?
How do you currently communicate prototype insights with stakeholders?
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
To align the framework with real-world needs, I facilitated a workshop with 13 cross-functional participants, including designers, PMs, developers, and business partners. The goal was to uncover pain points, improve collaboration, and define what the framework must deliver.
Workshop Goals:
Identify key challenges teams face with prototyping
Explore cross-team collaboration needs
Define must-have features and success metrics for the framework
Defining Challenges and Requirements
Workshop Exercise
INDIVIDUAL REFLECTION (10MIN)
Write down 3-5 pain points you experience with prototyping.GROUP CATEGORISATION (15MIN)
Take the pain points on a board and group them into themesPRIORITISATION (15MIN)
Vote on the top 3 biggest pain points.SOLUTION BRAINSTORMING (15MIN)
Divide into groups to discuss the top pain points and then present 2-3 key requirements that they believe the framework should meet.DEFINING SUCCESS METRICS (15MIN)
How will we measure the effectiveness of this framework
Analysis of the survey and workshop results surfaced four core areas teams needed clarity and support on when prototyping:
What Teams Need from Prototyping
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Teams often lacked clarity on scope and feasibility:
Why are we building this?
What’s the available time and effort?
What’s the right level of fidelity?
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Prototypes often failed when misaligned with the target viewer:
Who will see this prototype?
Will they understand the intent?
Are we testing with the right users or stakeholders?
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How teams work affects how they prototype:
Are we working in agile, waterfall, or another approach?
How should we collaborate across functions?
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Many struggled to define what the prototype should express:
Is this about layout, logic, flow, or feel?
Are we communicating a horizontal or vertical prototype
“ Sometimes, I have an idea but I don’t have anybody to help me flesh it out”
“Say I have an idea, and I put something together, who’s the best person do I show it to?”
To ensure the framework could build on existing resources, I audited the current tools available in the TAG design system. The review revealed a key gap: while low- and mid-fidelity prototyping options were available, there was no support for high-fidelity prototyping using real components.
After surfacing this insight, I aligned with stakeholders on the need to explore new tools that could close this gap, particularly ones that integrate well with the existing React component library.
Identifying Gaps in Existing Prototyping Tools
Vetting High-Fidelity Prototyping Options
I found two offerings for which I conducted a SWOT analysis and tested both tools against our technical and user needs, including integration with our React component library, onboarding effort, and long-term scalability. One tool offered deep design system integration but required developer support; the other was more flexible for non-technical users. I recommended adopting both, mapped to different use cases, and aligned stakeholders on this dual-track approach.
With stakeholder alignment on the selected tools and to resolve confusion around tool selection, I created a decision matrix that guided teams based on project needs (e.g. fidelity, audience, time constraints). This helped reduce the risk of teams over-investing in the wrong tool or skipping prototyping entirely.
Using this foundation, I created a prototyping framework that documented best practices, tool guidance, and workflow recommendations. The framework was then published on the company’s internal design system site as a self-serve resource for teams across the organization.
Building and Publishing the Prototyping Framework
To extend the impact beyond the immediate team, I presented the prototyping framework at The Adecco Group’s internal design conference in Berlin. The event brought together internal employees, external contractors, and partners from other companies.
The talk highlighted the research process, the tool evaluation, and how the framework empowers teams to experiment faster with confidence.
Presenting at the Design Conference in Berlin
A Scalable Framework to Support Innovation
The prototyping framework is now a core part of The Adecco Group’s design system, helping teams across the organisation turn ideas into testable prototypes, faster and with greater clarity.
Backed by a 75% CSAT score, the framework provides a clear, accessible, and empowering platform for users of all skill levels to:
Explore and validate ideas
Communicate concepts through storytelling
Accelerate go-to-market decisions
It now serves as a living resource that supports the company’s broader innovation strategy.
OUTCOMES & LESSONS
Early Adoption & Measurable Impact
Since launch, the prototyping framework has proven to be a valuable asset in enabling teams to test the feasibility of ideas using the right tools for the job.
In the first 30 days
1
Team project was created from leveraging prototypes from the platform
22 %
Onboarding completion rate
75 %
Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)
43%
of target users (designers, product owners, developers and business partners) were successfully onboarded
By introducing a structured prototyping framework and scaling two new tools, I enabled teams to validate ideas faster and with more autonomy, aligning experimentation with the company’s broader innovation goals.
Key Outcomes & Results
Created a single source of truth for all things prototyping, accessible to both technical and non-technical users
Users reported it became easier to flesh out and present ideas, improving stakeholder communication
In low-resource situations (e.g., no designer available), employees were still able to prototype effectively and move their work forward
Choosing two tools instead of one was a deliberate decision, it allowed us to balance flexibility with consistency while meeting the needs of both technical and non-technical users.
What I learnt
Ask the right questions: Coming into the company as a new joiner, curiosity and structured inquiry were critical
Collaboration is everything: Building the right relationships across design, product, and business made the work stronger
Stay adaptable: Spotting opportunities, seeking feedback, and pivoting based on what I learned played a huge role in the project's success