Prototype Testing
Letter of Intent (LOI) Test
A Letter of Intent (LOI) is a short, non-binding written agreement that captures a stakeholder’s or customer’s intention to move forward with a future transaction once the solution is available. While it is not legally binding, it represents a clear mental and written commitment, making it especially useful for testing viability with partners or B2B customers
Why Use this tool?
Move beyond interest to real commitment.
The LOI Test helps you understand whether key stakeholders are willing to formally express intent, not just curiosity. It’s a powerful way to validate viability, clarify expectations, and reduce uncertainty before investing in full development or launch.
what you should know
Start With: A solution or MVP that can be clearly explained and discussed
End With: Evidence of commitment, clarified expectations, and concrete learning
Time Needed:
• Preparation: Medium
• Execution: Hours to days
• Analysis: Medium
Difficulty: ⭐ ⭐⭐☆☆(3 out of 5 – requires clarity and trust)
People:
• 2-6 participants (potential customers or stakeholders)
• 1–2 coordinators (conversation + documentation)
A quickguide to start
2. Create the LOI template. Keep it simple and clear; state purpose, parties involved, and the intended transaction.
3. Explain the solution. Walk users through the concept or MVP, using prototypes if available. Be transparent about its current status.
4. Introduce the LOI. Explain what the document means, what it does not mean (non-binding), and why you’re using it.
5. Invite commitment. Ask participants to sign if the intent feels right to them.
6. Review and follow up. Track signed LOIs, capture feedback, and continue conversations with those who committed.
helpful tips
- Transparency is critical, participants should clearly understand what they are agreeing to.
- Whenever possible, review the LOI face to face to observe reactions and capture feedback.
- Regulations vary by country; review the LOI with legal teams before using it externally.
RACU meets AI
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How Can AI Make RACU Easier ?
AI can be your creative partner and research assistant, ready to help you move faster and think deeper at every step of the RACU process.
For each RACU tool, we’ll share a ready-to-use AI prompt. Just copy the prompt into your favorite AI tool (like ChatGPT or Copilot) and it will guide you through the method step by step.
The AI becomes your facilitator, asking the right questions so you can build your thinking as you go. No need to fill out a blank form, the prompt starts the conversation and adapts to your answers in real time.
PROMPT – COPILOT, CHAT GPT
You are a facilitator helping me complete a Research & Discovery Card for a design thinking challenge.
Guide me step-by-step by asking the following questions one at a time, and wait for my answer before moving on. You can ask follow-up questions if needed to clarify or improve my responses.
Start with general context:
1. What is the challenge, project, or topic you’re working on? (Briefly describe the scope or goal.)
Then go into Research (existing data):
2. What existing information do we need to gather to better understand this challenge?
3. Where can we get that information? (e.g., internal reports, dashboards, previous research, public sources)
4. What specific questions will this data help us answer?
5. Who on the team will be responsible for gathering this information?
Then move to Discovery (new research):
6. Who should we learn from? (e.g., users, clients, collaborators, stakeholders)
7. Where can we find or reach them?
8. What topics, needs, or behaviors should we explore in the research?
9. What discovery methods could work best for this challenge? (Examples: interviews, shadowing, observation, journaling, immersing yourself in the experience, etc.)
10. How many people should we involve or study?
11. When will this research happen?
12. Who on the team will lead or coordinate this discovery work?
At the end, summarize my answers as a Research & Discovery Plan with two sections:
- Research (existing data)
- Discovery (new fieldwork)
Use bullet points and keep it simple enough to copy into a worksheet.
