LabsRapid Prototype
Rapid Prototype
Lab cycles, starting from two weeks, that put a promising idea to the test with an MVP, a prototype of its hardest component, or a blueprint, so decisions rest on evidence.
The impact
Evidence you can act on, starting from two weeks.
- A real build or a buildable blueprint that puts the idea to the test, whether an app, an agent, an integration, or an experience.
- A clear answer either way. If the idea doesn’t hold up, you find out before the costly build, not after it.
- Alignment on technical choices, from architecture and workflows to suitability for the real objective.
- Clear next steps, whether that means building on it, changing course, or stopping, and the risks to mitigate along the way.
- A shareable demo video of the results, for your stakeholders.
- An insights report covering feedback, feasibility, and recommendations.
A typical cycle
From whiteboard to a real build.
Hypothesis-driven, with design, prototyping, and user research happening together. Here is what a cycle looks like, and the time we need from your team.
Plan and prepare
Align on scope, objectives, and expected outcomes.
Design and architecture review
1 hour with your team
Review the proposed technology and architecture, and walk through early wireframes.
Build and review
2-hour progress review
We build and iterate, then walk you through progress, gather feedback, and agree refinements.
Final presentation
2 hours with your team
The result, key outcomes, and recommended next steps.
Handover
Every artifact, the documentation, and our insights, so you can carry on.
92%
Proof point · Globally deployed public sector
A globally deployed public sector agency used our lab to cut the cost of a major solution from $20 million to $1.6 million, with design work setting a reusable toolkit for its agents and apps.
Read the case studyWork from the lab
Built with our clients in the lab.
Please pardon the redactions. They protect the confidentiality of the clients for whom this work was done.
Prototype
AI-driven natural disaster prediction and response
Prototype
AI-driven matching of jobs, workers, and legal status
Design prototype from a blueprint
Frontier Campus agent library
What a cycle can deliver
Three ways to put an idea to the test.
We agree the scope with you up front and recommend whichever fits the question in front of you. Larger ideas can run several cycles, in sequence or side by side.
Option A
A simple MVP
A minimum viable solution, scoped together so it can reasonably be developed within the cycle.
Option B
A prototype of the hardest part
When the whole solution is too big for one cycle, we prototype the most pressing challenge within it.
Option C
A blueprint and technical architecture
A solution blueprint and technical architecture, with cost guidance, ready to hand to your own team or a delivery team for development.
For the full design, see Solution BlueprintWhen an idea doesn’t work out
That’s a result too.
Sometimes a cycle shows that a concept isn’t feasible yet, or needs more engineering. Finding a technical dead end early can save far more than the cycle costs.
Ready to scale? Forward Deployed Engineering carries what works into production alongside your own engineers.
Talk to us
What do you need to know before you invest?
Tell us the idea and the decision riding on it. We’ll recommend the lab cycle that fits.