These are my notes for my CoPrototyping workshop (see below). This text is continuously being written and updates frequently.
A
community of practice (CoP) is a community that practices something together.
Its members have common interests and goals. Together they find solutions to problems,
exchange knowledge, learn by doing,
collect implicit experience, support each other and
have fun together.
This shapes common identity, strengthens collective intelligence and
empowers civic communities.
See also
Étienne Wenger.
CoPRototyping: a CoP does prototyping.
A prototype can be any testable attempt to solve a specific problem: a product, a service, an experience, a startup, an activist group, a method, a technology, a strategy, a scientific study, a PR stunt, a campaign, a policy, a petition, a piece of art, a meme or even a movement!
Anything that helps tackle problems and achieve goals!
Citizen Science
CoPRototyping follows a Do It Together and
Citizen Science approach instead of
Do It Yourself (DIY)
in order to increase solidarity and productivity in working on the prototype the CoP has chosen to develop.
Learning by
doing prototyping.
Each member brings or learns skills needed for developing the prototype or parts of it
(
Lifelong Learning).
Members learn from eachother
(
Open knowledge).
Every member is teacher and learner at the same time.
Inclusiveness
CoPRototyping is inclusive and inviting.
Members of a CoP can be
newbies,
observers,
learners,
students,
testers,
makers,
hackers,
tinkerers,
hobbyists,
laypeople,
autodidacts,
experts,
team leads,
project managers,
marketing managers,
scientists,
engineers,
designers,
developers,
dropouts,
career jumpers,
employees,
colleagues,
retirees,
visionairs,
advisers,
supporters,
facilitators,
fundraisers,
investors,
partners,
stakeholders,
competitors,
collaborators,
customers,
or anyone who just wants to join.
CoPRototyping promotes
cross-functional teams. This is the Co
(
Co-creation/
Co-design) of CoPRototying.
The inclusive character and low-threshold access, in particular for laypeople, amateurs, dropouts and citizens with low budget,
makes CoPRototyping an unbureaucratic, flexible, dynamic and low-cost
alternative to conventional, scientific and industrial prototyping, where required expertise, titles and salaries are limiting.
Individuals, neighbours, startups, businesses, organizations, NGOs and universities can join the
CoP, so it may become a stimulating exchange hub between such entities.
To smooth onboarding, a newbie can have a buddy from the CoP who would tell him
or her everything about the CoP, the prototype, the state of the art, future goals, etc.
The newbie feels comfortable and welcome.
Problem bearers are explicitly invited to participate in CoPRototyping to solve their problems.
They know their problems and pain points inside out and are most motivated to find solutions.
They are ideally suited to find solutions if they use the right tools and receive support.
Virtual CoP (vCoP)
Members can participate from anywhere, when the CoP meets online via chat, video
conferencing, hybrid-meeting or
augmented reality. Members share videos, images and documentation with the rest of the vCoP and the world.
Avataring
Avataring means that a member (the avatar) with few or without practical skills is guided by a
more skilled member (the flight controller) remotely. The avatar uses a head mounted camera and
headphones to listen to the instructions of the flight controller, who sees everything the avatar
looks at in real time. This is possible even in remote regions because of improved satellite
internet with low latency. The avatar can fulfill complex tasks, such as building a prototype or
doing troubleshooting, following the instructions given by the flight controller. The avatar
learns by doing. No expert needs to travel to the in-situ location of the prototype.
Group development
A CoP may walk through the
5 stages of group development (Bruce Tuckman), a process where
emotional challenges and conflict may arise between members, but which can be mitigated
methodically to help the CoP to find back to harmony and productivity.
Members of a CoP can have any level of engagement. Occasionally, as a hobbyist,
or up to fully professional, for example as a project manager, once the CoP has reached the
financial means.
A CoP may or may not choose to have team leads, a core team or a
sociocratic group structure.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness
can help members of a CoP to improve empathy and listen attentively to their peers and identify their
problems and worries. Introspection helps to understand their own situation.
In
criminal interrogation techniques, empathy leads to better results.
Empathizing is the first step in the design thinking process (see below),
where designers gather insights into users' needs, motivations, and problems.
See also Mindfulness for Beginners by
Jon Kabat-Zinn.
Root problem
Root cause analysis,
5 Whys,
5W2H,
FTA,
FMEA,
8D,
Ishikawa diagrams,
Pareto charts, etc.
may help to dig deeper and identify the root causes of a problem.
Flow
To make performance and productivity more fluid and enjoyable conditions should be created,
to favour
flow state.
Therefore, over-challenge and under-challenge should be avoided.
Also read
Mihály Csíkszentmihályi.
UX
Storytelling,
customer journeys,
hero journeys,
personas,
mood boards and
roleplaying
can be used to make the
user experiance (UX) and context of a prototype more exciting.
Modularity
Complexity should be broken down into simpler and less tight coupled modules to promote
replaceability, flexibility, interchangeability, testability, maintainability,
reusability and scalability. See also
modularity and
seperation of concerns.
The members of the CoP structure their development and manufacturing process and share the workload by assigning tasks to each other, for example by doing sprint planning with
Scrum or
Kanban or following the principles of
Agile and
Six Sigma.
They frequently meet (online) to discuss goals, requirements, acceptance criteria, features, todos,
milestones, retrospectives and troubleshootings of the prototype.
Minimalism
CoPRototyping follows
Minimalism,
keeping things simple, low-tech and low-cost following the principle
"As much low-tech as possible, as little high-tech as needed!"
Also see Doing more with less
(
Ephemeralization)
by Buckminster Fuller,
Less is more by
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe,
The Laws of Simplicity by
John Maeda,
and
Keep it simple, stupid! (KISS).
We can understand CoPRototyping as
Reverse Innovation and
Frugal Engineering done by laypeople.
Lean
low-tech
leapfrogs
legacy!
Open source
Open source principles promote knowledge exchange and the creation of mutually supportive communities. A CoPRototying prototype is open source
hardware and software, accessible and easy to copy by any citizen in the world: It
provides easy to follow instructables on how to assemble the minimal viable
product prototype, making it understandable for laypeople. The CoP encourage
copycats
to copy the prototype by even providing technical and troubleshooting support. Ideas and innovations copied from others can inspire your own creations and be passed on. In contrast to the secrecy and the
Red tape of
Copyright, "ideas ping-pong" helps society to grow and accelerate sustainable development.
Shodh Yatra
Shodh Yatra (the hindi word for research trip) can be applied: A CoP can walk around and ask people about innovations and life hacks they've come up with to solve their specific problems. The collected knowledge is then processed to make it available and accessible to everyone, even those without internet or electricity: the cross-fertilization of knowledge. See the Honeybee Network by
Anil K. Gupta.
Zukunftswerkstatt (The Future Workshop)
It is designed to empower "ordinary citizens" to collaboratively solve social problems and creatively envision a better future, rather than leaving planning solely to experts and those in power. Read
Zukunftswerkstatt by Robert Jungk, Rüdiger Lutz und Norbert R. Müllert.
Design Thinking
To initiate CoPRototyping or to target specific issues during the process,
Design Thinking can
be applied. It is a method that helps us to understand our fellow human beings (emphasize), to
analyze their problems and needs (define), to activate our creativity (ideate) and to find
solutions (prototype > test). It is essential that the problem-bearers participate in design
thinking sessions, in order to help all stakeholders to understand very well the problems and
root-problems to be resolved. See also Change by Design by
Tim Brown.
Tim Brown, Change by Design
Lean
Since the prototype is not developed in a secret lab, but rather observable in real time
on social media, anyone anywhere can participate in the CoP/vCoP, can give feedback, do
user testing,
make questions and proposals, express needs, troubles and ideas. The prototype is
developed by its users! This generates valuable insights from the early beginning. It promotes
short feedback loops: build-measure-learn. See
The Lean Startup by
Eric Ries.
It allows the prototype to be adjusted quickly to needs and demands. The
R&D
process becomes lean by reducing waste
(
Muda) and the risk of dead ends
(
Waterfall). See also
Lean Manufacturing.
Viability
The prototype must be checked for
feasibility and viability,
e.g. by
SWOT.
Effort and
quality control
can be optimized through methods such as
Priority Matrix,
Eisenhower Matrix,
Pareto principle and other
best practices.
Fail Fast
The prototype is aimed to reach a
Minimum viable state in order to make it testable ASAP. It follows the principle of
Fail fast.
Testing
Various tests can be carried out on the prototype:
User tests,
A/B Tests,
Unit testing,
Test-Driven Development (TDD)
and
Benchmarking
Pivot
When tests and user feedback prove assumptions and hypothesis wrong and a prototype does not fulfill expectations, a
pivot might become necessary in order to avoid further waste on time and budget (
Muda,
Sunk Cost Fallacy). A pivot is a fundamental shift in design or strategic direction based on insights gained from testing.
Cognitive biases are a primary cause of wrong assumptions. Examples are
Confirmation bias or
anchors. To counteract misleading assumptions and fallacies, a
falsification mindset can be helpful in actively questioning one's own beliefs, theories, ideas, and possible
Groupthink within a CoP. A
pre-mortem analysis can be carried out in advance of a project or prototype. Trying to find the balance between
Status quo bias, an irrational preference of the comfort zone, and
Pro-innovation bias,a tendency to overvalue new ideas and experiments while overlooking the merits of existing and traditional approaches. Also read
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Continuity
The prototype development process follows the principles of continous integration / development / deployment / delivery
(
CI/CD).This applies not only to software development, but to prototyping and development in general. Thus, the prototype will always remain a prototype.
This text itself can be considered a prototype that will be continually improved and updated. Refresh this page regularly.
Feel free to suggest content that should be added to this text or become a co-author. Thank you! Write to
hi@1769.eu
Business development
An open source prototype may be
forked by companies to develop
freemium versions. Companies can
develop an open-source business model around the prototype. They can offer services and products
such as installation, maintenance, technical support, customisations, consulting, coaching, selling
building parts/sets etc.
Companies can send their employees to join the CoP to bring in and take out know-how and to get access to the
CoP's network.
Companies will find talent within the CoP. Talent acquisition is critical in order to face skill
shortage nowadays.
Members of a CoP might become employed by a company for instance to develop a freemium version,
because they have the vision and expertise. This can be attractive to career jumpers and autodidacts,
who cannot or do not want to pursue an university career.
CoPRotoyping can be initiated, sponsored or supported by companies, schools, universities and
nonprofit organizations in order to stimulate and promote the visibility of their
business, education, science or charity.
Companies and institutions can contribute by lending tools and equipment and, most importantly, sharing their know-how.
Early adopters might detect and face
issues because of the immaturity of a prototype and help to troubleshoot.
They participate in the CoPrototyping process by expressing their needs. They give valuable
feedback and insights to the CoP. They may pay for a freemium version at some point later and become
future customers. This should motivate companies to sponsor the CoP to develop open-source prototypes.
Transparency
Potential investors and promoters can observe the
R&D process and progress of the prototype, because it's fully transparent. This creates trust and motivation to make an investment or otherwise support.
PR
Since the CoPRototyping is transparent and well documented on social media and integrates in local
and global communities, followers and early adaptors spread the word of mouth. This creates
visibility, a powerful marketing effect kicks in. It creates attention, communication and
engagement.
Prototyping and public relations become one thing. This is the
PR of CoPRototyping.
Legal
CoPs doing CoPRototyping can be organized as a non-profit organization, cooperative or social enterprise.
Funding
The CoP may accept donations, public funding by governmental or educational entities or private
sponsoring and funding by companies and investors.
Impact
CoPRototyping follows the principles of
Business ethics,
Values-based Innovation,
Corporate social responsibility
Circular economy, recycling, upcycling and the
Right to Repair to achieve greater sustainability and resilience.
Therefore counterproductive strategies such as
Planned obsolescence and
Vendor lock-in must be avoided.
See also Failure by
Arjun Appadurai and Neta Alexander.
Hacktivists can join the CoP to co-develop a sustainable and open source prototype to contribute to a fair, circular and collaborative economical system.
Education
Educators can join a CoP to find subjects and materials within their prototype. The prototype can
be an object for applied and interdisciplinary learning and experimentation for scholars and students.
Empowerment
Let's take fate into our hands!
Citizens, neighbors, kids, students, friends and families: Start your CoPs! Do CoPRototyping!
Don't hand over all your worries and problems to politicians, corporations, saviours and
their beautiful promises. Because often you can help yourself with your strong
community and everyones powerful tools. Tools that are proven to work, otherwise companies wouldn't use them.
You can develop all kind of prototypes and
problem-solving
strategies yourself
efficiently or
fork some and build custom versions for your specific needs and circumstances.
CoPs when doing CoPRototying share costs, effort, know-how, revenue and fun. They become more self-sufficient, reduce
expenses, become part of a global, collaborative network, become more decentralized, more independent
from lock-ins, global supply chains and monopolies. CoPs achieve resilience.
CoPRototyping is R&D for sustainable innovation. Participate in an open, collaborative, participative, circular, fair and free market!
In my Podcast "Optimal Gini" CoPRototyping is being discussed.
Metaphor: A CoP orbiting its prototype.
Prototypes so far developed with CoPRototyping:
xponix
An small aquaponics-protoype for sustainability education and food sovereignty was built.
Aquaponics is multidisciplinary: It
unites agriculture, crops science, livestock (water animals), biochemistry
(the nitrogen cycle, water nutrients and quality), plumbing, engineering,
microelectronics (sensors, microcontrollers, Arduino, Raspberry Pi), power electronics
(e.g. solar), programming, IoT (Internet of Things), big data, smart farming,
product design (biodegradable plastics, recycling, etc.) and cooking. It is scientific,
didactic, applied, and crafting. It speaks to different personalities, backgrounds, and
levels of knowledge. Later the prototype lead to a bigger prototype
developed by the
SmartCityFarm e.V. in Berlin.
The new prototype asks questions such as:
"Can industrial production systems be scaled down and simplified to the point where it can be operated by
laypeople, neighbors or students? Can we efficiently do automated
self-sufficiency? Can we compete with the supermarket? Can we overcome inflation ourselves?"
Join the CoP!
sí = smart irrigation
Low-tech smart irrigation prototype for urban and school gardens. The goals are to
educate and "learn by prototyping" about low-tech (sensors, IoT, electronics, programming,
soil science), to sensitize about the value of water, to save water and work and increase
yield.
Join the CoP!
Bubble Tea
If there are algorithms that divide society (X, TikTok, Instagram), there must be algorithms
that unite society. During winter semester 2024/2025, students at the University for Sustainable
Development in Eberswalde developed a prototype for a communication-codex to bring people from
diverse bubbles together and counteract polarization, while having tea together. It originally
was called 'Austauschbörse'. The prototype was be further developed during the wintersemester
2025/26: An algorithm to build trust and enable discussion about difficult social issues without
aggression taking over. Randomly selected citizens are invited as test subjects: In the
market square, at the train station, by phone. The prototype is being developed using CoPRototyping
during another 30 hours session. Ingredients include empathy, respect, non-violent communication, soft skills, diplomacy, active listening, conflict resolution techniques, mediation skills, emotional intelligence, and positive reinforcement.
See also
1769.eu/bubbletea
Mind map of concepts and tools for CoPRototyping.
CoPRototying sessions
CoPRototying is a "framework" and "toolbox" with industry methods and product development strategies such as Design Thinking and Lean Startup. It
empowers citizens to resolve their daily issues.
In a structured and moderated process the participants empathize with others, analyze problems, activate their creativity, let ideas flow, utilize resources, check feasibility and viability and develop and test a prototype as a solution attempt.
The participants can be randomly mixed or an old, familiar, well-practised team.
They can be
ramdom citizens,
regulars' tables,
neighbors,
family members,
school classes,
research groups,
start-ups,
focus groups,
c-level executives,
corporate departments,
workforces,
non-profit organizations,
cultural associations,
sports clubs,
or any other CoP.
They bring their very specific problem that they have been suffering from for a long time,
or the problem can be identified as their common intersection during the workshop.
A session typically lasts 3 to 6 hours for teams of 5 to 30 persons.
The longest session lasted about 30 hours but could be longer.
Moderator
David (
1769.eu) has conducted 27 CoPRototying sessions so far.
He has worked as a senior software engineer in agencies and the industry. He has gained
experience in project management and art production. He learned Design Thinking at
MING Labs. He co-founded the
SmartCityFarm e.V. Since 2022,
he has been working as a tech coach and design thinker.
You can book a CoPRototyping session for your CoP, team, org, school or business via
hi@1769.eu
"I'd like to contribute to a nature-human-inclusive world."
CoPRototying session at Kunsthalle Mannheim on 25.11.2023
CoPRototying session done with students from
CIEE at Taut Pavillion Zukunftskiez Dammweg Berlin on 15.09.2025
CoPRototying session at the University for Sustainable Development Eberswalde, 12.11.2024 - 21.01.2025
CoPRototying session at Una Europa Student Congress on 19.09.2024
CoPRototying session at CityLab Kiezlabor on 11.09.2023
CoPRototying session with BAUFACHFRAU e.V. on 18.10.2024
CoPRototying session with NABU/NAJU on 01.11.2025
