Community feedback

Getting feedback from community members shows if prototypes actually work for people. Early feedback helps catch problems before investing in full development.

Teams need real input from the people who will use their services. When Portsmouth tested youth program ideas, they learned they needed to change their approach after seeing how students actually responded.

Strong feedback sessions need:

• Clear testing goals: what specific questions need answers
• Diverse participants: people of different ages, backgrounds, and abilities
• Welcoming environment: where people feel safe sharing honest opinions
• Documentation method: audio recording, notes, or observation forms
• Task-based testing: asking people to try specific parts of the service
• Discussion time: allowing people to explain their experience
• Pattern tracking: noting when multiple people have the same problem
• Follow-up plans: how findings will be used to improve the prototype