Author: Nastassia Shahun

Prototyping for Early Validation: How Smart BAs Bridge Ideas and Reality

By Nastassia Shahun

Imagine this: You kick off a project to build a new system, spend months in development, and then unveil it to users—only to discover it doesn’t meet their needs. Every business analyst’s nightmare, right? Early prototyping is the antidote. By creating interactive models of your solution before heavy development, you can validate concepts upfront, catch missteps, and build confidence that you’re on the right track.

Prototyping has become an invaluable technique across industries—from finance to healthcare to manufacturing—because it allows stakeholders to interact with a tangible model early in the process. It de-risks delivery, improves collaboration, and shortens feedback loops.

In this guide, we’ll explore a practical step-by-step approach to help BAs design and use interactive prototypes for early validation. Along the way, we’ll include real-world-inspired examples and tips that make this process both effective and manageable.

Step 1: Define Clear Goals

Every successful prototype starts with a clear purpose. Ask yourself: What do we want to learn or validate with this prototype? Are you testing a new user interface for usability? Validating that a calculation algorithm produces the expected results? Identifying missing steps in a workflow?

Defining your prototype’s objectives will focus your effort. For instance, if you’re a BA in a healthcare project working on a patient portal, your objective might be to validate that patients can schedule an appointment online without assistance. In a manufacturing context, the goal might be to confirm a new inventory dashboard displays real-time data in a useful way for plant managers.

Pro tip: Write down your assumptions and questions. (e.g., “Will customers find the self-service checkout process intuitive?”) Design your prototype to get answers to those questions.

Example: On a financial services project, we needed to know whether users would complete a five-step loan application without dropping off. We focused the prototype entirely on that flow—skipping extra features—and collected feedback early. That saved us weeks of rework.

Step 2: Gather Requirements and Map the User Journey

With objectives set, the next step is laying the foundation. Talk to stakeholders, end users, and SMEs about their goals, pain points, and expectations. You’re not documenting every requirement—just enough to build a realistic model.

This is also the moment to map out the user journey. A quick sketch, sticky notes, or a digital flow diagram can reveal critical steps, dependencies, or gaps.

Visual Tip: Use a simple user journey flowchart to identify alternate paths or conditions. For example, mapping an e-commerce checkout might show: Browse Products → Add to Cart → Enter Shipping Info → Confirm Order. You may discover an approval or inventory check step was missing from early discussions.

Step 3: Choose the Right Fidelity and Tools

Not all prototypes are created equal. Fidelity refers to how detailed and close to the final product your prototype looks. Pick the right level depending on your audience, time, and goals.

Also, select tools that match your needs and comfort level. Even Google Slides or PowerPoint can simulate clicks and navigation.

Pro tip: For business processes (like role approvals or escalations), simulate workflows using flowcharts or even roleplay—not every prototype needs a UI.

Step 4: Design and Build a Clickable Prototype

Now it’s time to build your prototype. Translate the journey map into interactive screens or touchpoints that focus on core features linked to your objectives.

• Include realistic steps: “Next” buttons should navigate somewhere—even if it’s just a placeholder.
• Annotate gaps: Add notes to clarify what would happen in production (e.g., “This field would auto-populate from the CRM”).
• Resist scope creep: Stick to testing only what matters. More screens aren’t always better.

Step 5: Test with Real Users (Gather Feedback)

Here’s where things get fun. Share your prototype with real users and observe how they interact with it. Facilitate a session, but let them explore on their own.

Checklist for Effective Testing:

• Set the context: Remind testers this is not the final version.
• Assign tasks: “Please schedule a doctor’s appointment for tomorrow.”
• Encourage thinking out loud: Ask testers to verbalize what they’re doing and why.
• Capture pain points: Where do users hesitate, click incorrectly, or ask questions?

Tip: If multiple people miss the same element (like a button or label), that’s a signal—not a coincidence.

Step 6: Iterate and Refine the Prototype

Now that feedback is flowing, it’s time to refine. One of the best parts of prototyping is how cheap and fast changes can be—no code to rewrite.

• Prioritize critical issues: Fix areas where most testers struggled.
• Make small updates fast: Adjust labels, button positions, or flows.
• Do another quick round of testing: If time allows, test the updated version.
• Document learnings: Keep a simple log—these insights are gold when transitioning to dev teams.

Final Thoughts

Prototyping isn’t about pretty screens. It’s about turning assumptions into something users can click, test, and trust. As a BA, your goal isn’t perfection—it’s validation. With every iteration, you build confidence in the concept, and that clarity saves time, effort, and budget.

Interactive models cut through vague discussions and help stakeholders see what’s really being built. Whether you’re working on a government portal, insurance platform, or inventory tool, early prototyping shortens the gap between what’s imagined and what’s delivered.

Next time you’re kicking off a new project, don’t wait for full specs or dev sprint planning. Start prototyping early. You’ll learn faster, collaborate better, and deliver smarter solutions.

About the Author:

Nastassia Shahun is a Senior IT Business Analyst with over five years of experience in business and system analysis, product management, and UX/UI design. She holds a Master’s degree in Informatics and specializes in user-centric innovation across FinTech, EdTech, and eCommerce domains. Passionate about continuous learning, Nastassia actively contributes to the business analysis community through mentoring, writing, and speaking engagements. She shares practical insights on her Medium blog at medium.com/@nastassia.shahun_72023. You can connect with her on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/nastassia-shahun