Time to build. But the log is as important as what you build.
Context
Your prototype can be rough — a wireframe, a script, a tool, a document, an app, a process. What matters is that it's a real attempt to solve your partner's problem, informed by your discovery conversation, your assumption audit, and your domain learning.
The build log is as important as the prototype. Use the Dojo to document your decisions as you build.
What You'll Do
Build your first prototype. Then open the Dojo to create your build log — documenting not just what you built, but why you made the decisions you made.
Starting Guidance for Your Build Log (Dojo Session):
What are you building and why this approach?
For each major decision: what were the alternatives? Why this choice?
Where did AI help vs. where did YOUR judgment matter?
What are you unsure about? What would you change with more time?
Where does your understanding of your partner's world show up in what you built?
📋 What Good Looks Like
Before you start — a prototype is simpler than you think
Fictional example. The bar for "prototype" is lower than you expect — the BUILD LOG is what matters most.
Prototype: A single HTML page called "Study Launchpad." It pulls my partner's Canvas assignments via API and shows ONLY today's top priority with one button: "Start Studying This." No options. No browsing. No weekly view. Just the one thing she should do right now.
Build log entry — key decision: I started building a full weekly planner view. After 30 minutes, I stopped and re-read my discovery notes. She never asked to see her whole week — she gets stuck at the MOMENT she sits down. I was building what I assumed she needed, not what the conversation revealed. Scrapped the planner. Built the single-focus view. The AI helped me with the Canvas API code, but the decision to show only one thing was mine — no AI suggested removing features.
Build log entry — what I'm unsure about: I'm not sure "today's top priority" is the right filter. Should it be "most urgent deadline" or "most impactful thing to study"? Those aren't the same. I went with "nearest deadline" because it's simpler to calculate, but this might be wrong — my partner might need to study for a big exam, not a small quiz due tomorrow. This is something I need to test with her in the feedback session.
Notice: the prototype is intentionally rough (one page, one button). The build log is where the thinking lives. A polished app with no decision rationale would score lower than a rough prototype with a thoughtful log.