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To make a paper prototype, sketch the screens needed for one user task, prepare loose paper pieces for changing states such as menus, then have someone attempt the task while a helper swaps screens to reflect their actions. Watch where they hesitate or take an unexpected path, revise the paper, and test again. The goal is to learn about the idea and flow before building—not to simulate a finished product.
What a paper prototype can help you learn
A paper prototype uses hand-drawn or printed interface screens to explore whether a layout, content structure, or task flow makes sense. Because the pieces are quick to change, it is useful when the design is still taking shape. During a test, a helper can play the computer by showing the screen that matches what the participant tries to do. Nielsen Norman Group describes this approach in its paper prototyping cutout-kit guide and its paper prototyping overview.
A paper test can reveal confusing labels, missing steps, or a navigation structure that does not match people’s expectations. It does not establish how a finished implementation will perform, nor can it reliably answer questions that depend on realistic animations, precise visual styling, or technical behavior.
What you need to make one
Start with ordinary supplies; a specialized kit is not necessary.
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- Paper and a pen or pencil for screens.
- Blank sheets for quick changes during iteration.
- Scissors, if you want to cut out buttons, cards, or other pieces.
- Optional cardstock for a phone or browser frame, and separate slips for menus, dropdowns, or overlays.
- A long sheet—or several joined sheets—if the task involves scrolling.
NN/g offers free phone and browser cutout kits in A4 and Letter formats in its cutout-kit guide. A frame is optional; it can help communicate the intended screen area. If participants will hold a phone frame, NN/g suggests printing it on heavier cardstock or attaching it to cardstock.
How to make a paper prototype
1. Pick one question and one task
Write down what you need to learn before you draw. For example: “Can a new customer find the delivery options?” or “Do people understand how to reach account settings?” Give the participant a realistic task that lets you observe the question without telling them which control to use. Keep an early prototype focused: IDEO recommends low-fidelity designs that test one variable at a time, so visual polish does not distract from the experience question (“Rough, rapid, and right”).
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2. Sketch only the screens and states the task needs
Draw the starting screen, the screens or states that could follow, and the outcome needed to complete the task. Include the page structure, meaningful labels, and major interaction targets. Leave detailed styling out unless it is part of the question. Digital.gov’s prototyping guide recommends showing structure and major interactions rather than polishing visual details. A prototype might be one page for a narrow concept question or several pages for a complete task flow.
Keep fidelity consistent across the screens. If one screen is much more polished than the others, it may draw attention away from the design question you intend to test. NN/g discusses the range from low- to high-fidelity prototypes in its fidelity comparison.
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3. Prepare separate pieces for changing content
Put the screens in the order the helper is likely to need them. Make menus, dropdown choices, dialogs, or overlays on separate slips so the helper can place them over the base screen when the participant selects the relevant control. Keep blank paper close by to draw or alter a screen between sessions. NN/g’s cutout-kit guide describes this approach.
4. Decide how the paper will represent movement
For scrolling, use a long sheet or tape several sheets together, then move the paper through a screen frame as the participant scrolls. For menus and overlays, place a separate piece over the screen. Agree in advance how the helper will respond to taps, selections, and other actions so the same action produces the same result throughout the test.
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5. Rehearse the screen sequence
Before inviting a participant, have the helper review the screens and the intended order. Check that every likely action in the task has an understandable response. If a screen or state is missing, prepare a spare sheet rather than improvising a new behavior mid-session.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to test a paper prototype
- Explain the activity. Tell the participant they are trying an early design and that you are interested in how it works for them. Avoid teaching them where to click or steering them toward the intended path.
- Give the task. State the goal in plain language, without naming the interface controls they should use.
- Observe and take notes. Record where the participant pauses, asks what a label means, chooses an unexpected option, or cannot continue. Note what happened rather than immediately explaining or fixing the design.
- Have the helper change the paper in response. The helper plays the computer, revealing the screen or overlay that corresponds to the participant’s action. Keep those responses consistent with the prototype’s planned behavior.
- Revise between sessions. If a confusing spot recurs, use blank paper to change a label, screen, or step. Test the revised version with the next participant or use a new task to investigate a different question.
Keep the participant’s attempt at the center of the session: the prototype is a way to expose where the design needs work, not a test of whether someone can guess what its creator intended. For principles on keeping prototypes useful and focused, see IDEO’s prototyping principles.
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How to choose paper or a digital prototype
Choose the lowest level of fidelity that can answer your question. Paper is a strong fit when you need to explore early structure, content, task flow, or broad concept comprehension and want to make fast changes. A more functional or detailed prototype is a better fit when the question depends on realistic interaction, visual detail, or behavior that paper cannot convey. The right level depends on the study goal, how complete the design is, available tools and help, and whether participants need to manipulate real device dimensions. NN/g’s fidelity comparison and Digital.gov’s prototyping guide describe prototyping as a range rather than a contest with one universal winner.
How long does it take?
Digital.gov estimates 2 to 4 hours for its general prototyping method in its 2026 guide (Digital.gov). That is a guide for the method, not a guaranteed duration for every paper exercise: time varies with the number of screens, preparation, and scope of the session.
Further reading
For a book-length treatment, NN/g recommends Carolyn Snyder’s Paper Prototyping: The Fast and Easy Way to Design and Refine User Interfaces in its paper prototyping article. Reading it is optional; a few sheets of paper and a focused task are enough to get started.
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