High-Fidelity Testing Before Development

Industry: B2B SaaS / Project Management
Prototyping Approach: Interactive High-Fidelity Mockups with Real Users

Background & Challenge:
A growing SaaS company planned to launch a new "Team Pulse" feature within their project management platform—designed to help managers check in on team mood and productivity. But they weren’t sure how to blend this into an already feature-rich interface.

Rapid Prototyping Solution:

• Designed clickable high-fidelity prototypes using tools like Adobe XD and Figma

• Simulated different user roles (Manager, Team Member, Admin) to see how each experienced the flow

• Recruited 12 current customers for scenario-based testing via moderated sessions

Before:

• Managers found the mood check-ins intrusive or too vague

• Team members skipped engagement prompts that were buried under task lists

• UI was too “data-heavy” and lacked human tone

After:

• Introduced lightweight emoji-based check-ins with optional context

• Moved “Pulse” to a sidebar with gentle weekly nudges

• Added data summaries that used plain language (“Your team seems overwhelmed this week”)

Results:
✔ 85% task completion rate in final usability test (up from 50%)
✔ Launched to existing users as a beta and saw 42% weekly adoption
✔ Development was shortened by 4–6 weeks due to early user feedback pre-code

💡 Lesson Learned:
▶ Testing interactive prototypes before building saved months of work.
▶ Real user behavior often contradicts assumptions—even experienced ones.