Role-playing and service prototypes let teams simulate real-world interactions with a service, often through storytelling, props, or acting out a scenario.
These experiential prototypes help test not just interfaces, but the full ecosystem of people, processes, and environments.
They encourage teams to explore:
- What does the service feel like from the user’s perspective?
- Where might confusion, frustration, or delight occur?
- How do different touchpoints interact?
This type of prototyping brings empathy and systems thinking to life.
Best Practices
Define roles clearly (e.g., assign roles like customer, staff, tech).
Set the scene with basic props or spaces to create a realistic environment.
Act out realistic scenarios, including edge cases.
Basic Steps
1. Choose a key user journey. Select a moment that’s critical, common, or complex.
2. Assign team members to roles. Decide who will play the customer, staff, system, etc.
3. Rehearse and act out the scenario. Bring the experience to life through improvisation or script.
4. Observe interactions and note pain points. Watch for gaps, tensions, or opportunities in the experience.
5. Reflect and iterate on the service. Discuss findings and adjust the design based on what you’ve learned.
Benefits
- Reveals emotional and situational dynamics by uncovering the emotions and context affecting team interactions
- Evaluates efficiency and practicality of service processes which tests the feasibility and flow of service delivery
- Fosters Team Alignment and Shared Understanding by promoting cohesion through open communication and clear objectives
Our Recommended Resources
Role-playing is an effective method for exploring and exposing the human experiences within various systems. It allows participants to adopt different perspectives while building empathy, revealing breakdowns, and supporting better service design by grounding decisions in lived moments.