During which phase of a design sprint does the team create a prototype?

Creating a prototype occurs before the test phase in a design sprint. This sequence is crucial because a prototype serves as the tangible representation of the ideas and concepts that emerged during the ideation phase. Once the team has generated a variety of ideas, they condense those into a workable prototype that can then be presented to users for feedback. Prototyping allows the team to visualize their solutions and prepare for real user interactions, making it an essential step before moving into testing. This process facilitates gathering actionable insights about the design, helping the team refine their concepts based on user input and behavior.