In design thinking, where the process isn't linear but a continuous loop, prototyping should be woven seamlessly across multiple stages:

• Ideation: Begin prototyping early during ideation. As a tangible representation of ideas, prototypes allow you to quickly shortlist and eliminate them.
• Empathizing: Utilize prototypes to engage with end users, gathering valuable insights for informed design decisions.
• Experimentation: Use prototypes to experiment with incremental or radical changes. This can help explore problems, ideas, and opportunities within a focused area.
• Testing: Use prototypes to gain a deeper understanding of what users enjoy, dislike, or find confusing.
• Implementation: In the later stages, use prototypes to pitch and advocate for your ideas and motivate stakeholders towards implementing them full-scale.