When you can make just about anything, how do you know which option is the best one for modeling your ideas when it’s time to get started? Fifty years before ‘prototyping’ became a familiar concept, Jim Henson was mastering its foundational elements—using his muppets, of course. Henson also faced the same challenge that contemporary User Experience professionals know well: the paradox of prototyping choice; in tools and in process. Henson had notebooks full of ideas in various stages of development, and when he was ready to see which of his ideas were worth refining, he turned to sketching, storyboarding, patterns, iteration, and live testing to deterring his next steps.
Jim Henson was a UXer at his core. He cared about an authentic experience for his audience, and ensured that his team produced great work without spending any more time than was necessary to validate ideas. This early UXer can teach us a lot about how to apply those principles to the work we do today, with or without the help of Muppets.
5. #UXMuppets | @russu
I believe that life is basically a
process of growth - that we go
through many lives, choosing
situations and problems that we will
learn through.
“
20. #UXMuppets | @russu
Sketching
Henson started sketching characters and comic strips as a kid. He realized that sketches were
inexpensive ways to explore his ideas.
He never stopped.
25. #UXMuppets | @russu
Storyboarding
A storyboard is a graphic organizer that visually tells a story. Creating a storyboard helps you
plan your story shot by shot.
43. #UXMuppets | @russu
(So What?)
Jim Henson made sketching and prototyping a constant part of his thinking process.
He continually evolved everything he worked on.
He hacked things together.
He made it up as he went along.
As a relatively new industry, so do we.
45. #UXMuppets | @russu
I found early on, the way I operate
and the way I function is by doing
what seems correct. One thing just
sort of leads to another and just
goes from here to there.
“