PROTOTYPING LABS AS A MECHANISM FOR INNOVATION GOVERNANCE IN SERVICE DESIGN AND UX
Abstract
This study investigates prototyping labs as organizational infrastructure for innovation governance in complex corporate environments. A single revelatory qualitative case study was conducted between 2011 and 2013 within a high-complexity innovation unit, combining semi-structured interviews (n = 35), participant observation, and documentary analysis. Five structural barriers to experimentation were identified—attitude, confidence, technical capability, time, and infrastructure—systematically limiting innovation practices. Based on these findings, a governance model structured around four dimensions (concept, space, process, and recognition) is proposed, supported by operational principles that sustain continuous experimentation. The model positions prototyping as a structured organizational capability rather than an isolated creative intervention. Results indicate that institutionalized prototyping reduces rework, accelerates decision-making cycles, and strengthens organizational learning under conditions of uncertainty. The study contributes to the literature on innovation governance by conceptualizing prototyping as a repeatable and scalable mechanism for managing experimentation. It also advances the fields of Service Design and UX by demonstrating how iterative testing can be institutionalized as an ongoing governance practice. Finally, the article discusses how advances in Artificial Intelligence expand the strategic role of prototyping labs by accelerating simulation and evidence-based validation processes.
Author Biographies
Designer and executive with over 20 years of experience in UX, Service Design, branding, and innovation, leading the development of teams and digital transformation strategies in Brazil and the United States. He holds a degree in Digital Design from Anhembi Morumbi University, an MBA in the United States from Southern States University in San Diego, and an MBA in Branding from Faculdades Integradas Rio Branco in São Paulo, in addition to specializations in Design Thinking and innovation culture from EISE, São Paulo.
Journalist and executive with over 20 years of experience in editorial writing and media relations, she holds a degree in Journalism and executive education in entrepreneurship and management from FGV through the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women global program. She works in media relations, communication, and strategy, and is the founder of a press relations agency based in São Paulo.
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