Best examples of creating interactive prototypes for user testing in 2025

Real examples of creating interactive prototypes for user testing

Let’s start where most design articles don’t: with real, specific situations. These examples of creating interactive prototypes for user testing show how different levels of fidelity and tools fit different problems.

Example 1: Mobile onboarding flow for a fintech app

A fintech startup wanted to test whether new users understood its savings “vaults” concept. Instead of building the feature, the designer created a medium-fidelity interactive prototype in Figma.

The prototype included:

• Tap targets for Sign Up, Connect Bank, and Create Vault
• A fake bank connection screen with realistic loading delays
• A simple animation when a new vault was created

Test sessions focused on two questions: Could users get through onboarding without help, and did they understand what a vault was by the end? The interactive prototype let users tap through the entire flow on their phone, including error states. Recording the session with a tool like Lookback or Zoom made it easy to see where people hesitated.

The team discovered that users thought “vaults” were long-term savings only, not short-term goals. They changed copy and icons in the prototype, retested the next day, and only then handed it off to engineering.

Example 2: E‑commerce checkout flow for reducing cart abandonment

An online retailer saw high drop-off between cart and payment. Instead of guessing, the UX team built an interactive prototype in Axure that simulated:

• Cart review
• Shipping options
• Discount code entry
• Payment and confirmation

This was a higher-fidelity example of creating interactive prototypes for user testing because they needed to test complex logic. The prototype included conditional logic for:

• Invalid discount codes
• Different shipping costs
• Address validation errors

During moderated tests, users walked through realistic scenarios, like applying a promo code from an email and choosing between faster shipping and a cheaper option. The prototype was detailed enough that users behaved as if it were real, but still fast to change.

Insights:

• Users missed the promo code field when it was below the order total.
• People hesitated at the shipping step because the language sounded like an upsell.

The team moved the promo field higher, simplified the copy, validated the changes in a second round of testing, and then updated the production backlog.

Example 3: SaaS analytics dashboard for power users

A B2B SaaS company needed feedback on a new analytics dashboard aimed at data-savvy customers. Rather than coding a full front end, the designer used Framer to build a high-fidelity interactive prototype with:

• Clickable filters and date ranges
• Hover tooltips on charts
• Drill-down interactions on data points

This example of creating interactive prototypes for user testing focused on interaction density. Power users often care about speed and control, so the prototype emphasized keyboard shortcuts, quick filters, and layout changes.

During tests, users were asked to:

• Find specific metrics
• Compare this month to last month
• Export a filtered report

The team learned that the export action was buried and that people expected filter presets. Because the prototype was interactive, they could see exact cursor paths and hesitation points.

Example 4: Healthcare appointment booking with accessibility in mind

A health system wanted to redesign its online appointment booking to reduce phone calls and improve accessibility. They built a clickable prototype in Figma and then layered on basic HTML for screen reader testing.

This hybrid approach is one of the best examples of creating interactive prototypes for user testing when accessibility matters:

• Visual prototype: Simulated appointment selection, provider choice, and confirmation.
• HTML prototype: Implemented headings, labels, and focus order to test with screen readers.

They recruited both typical patients and screen reader users. While general UX testing focused on confusion and drop-off, accessibility testing focused on keyboard navigation and announcements.

Resources like the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative guidelines (https://www.w3.org/WAI/) and government ADA information (https://www.ada.gov/) helped the team shape their test scenarios.

Findings:

• The date picker was hard to use with a keyboard.
• Time slots weren’t clearly announced by screen readers.

Because the prototype was still early, they could adjust the interaction patterns before committing to a full build.

Example 5: Early-stage concept for a new social feature

Sometimes your prototype doesn’t need to look polished; it just has to answer, “Is this idea worth pursuing?”

A product team exploring a new social “rooms” feature used low-fidelity interactive wireframes in Balsamiq and then linked them in Figma. The prototype:

• Let users tap to create a room
• Showed a simple list of participants
• Simulated joining and leaving rooms

This is a lighter-weight example of creating interactive prototypes for user testing where speed matters more than visual detail. The team ran quick, 20-minute remote sessions using clickable wireframes.

Insights:

• Users didn’t understand the difference between a “room” and a “group.”
• People wanted clearer privacy controls.

Because the prototype was simple, the team iterated through three different naming and privacy models in a single week.

Example 6: Design system components tested as mini prototypes

Design systems are often treated as static libraries, but some of the best examples of creating interactive prototypes for user testing come from testing components themselves.

A large organization was standardizing buttons, dropdowns, and modal patterns. Instead of just documenting them, the team built a small interactive playground in Storybook.

Users and internal teams could:

• Trigger modals
• Open dropdowns with keyboard and mouse
• Try different button states

By observing how people interacted with these components, they discovered:

• People overlooked critical actions in subtle ghost buttons.
• Many expected Escape to close modals, even if there was a visible Close button.

This kind of component-level prototype helps prevent recurring UX issues across the entire product.

Example 7: Workflow prototype for internal tools

Internal tools often get less UX love, even though they drive core business operations. One company redesigned its support agent console and used an interactive prototype in ProtoPie to test workflows.

The prototype simulated:

• Searching for a customer
• Viewing their history
• Applying refunds or credits

This example of creating interactive prototypes for user testing was about workflow friction. Agents were asked to complete realistic tasks under time pressure.

Key learnings:

• The placement of refund actions caused misclicks.
• Agents wanted keyboard shortcuts for frequent actions.

Because the prototype was richly interactive, agents treated it like a real tool, giving far more honest feedback than they would with static mocks.

Choosing the right fidelity for your interactive prototype

Not every project needs a fully polished, high-fidelity prototype. The trick is matching the prototype to the question you’re asking.

When you mostly care about concept fit ("Does this idea make sense at all?"), low-fidelity wireframes linked together in Figma, Adobe XD, or Balsamiq are often enough. These are good for early examples of creating interactive prototypes for user testing, where you’re exploring multiple directions.

When you care about task success and flow, medium-fidelity clickable prototypes work well. These look reasonably close to the final product but may not include real data. Tools like Figma, Axure, and InVision are perfect here.

When you care about microinteractions, performance expectations, or accessibility, you may need high-fidelity or coded prototypes. Framer, ProtoPie, or lightweight HTML/CSS/JS prototypes shine when you’re testing details like loading states, animations, or screen reader behavior.

A helpful rule of thumb: the less settled your idea, the lower the fidelity should be. It’s easier to throw away something that doesn’t look finished.

Steps to create interactive prototypes that actually test something

Instead of jumping straight into a tool, anchor your prototype to a testing goal. This is where many teams go wrong.

Start by writing down:

• The question you want answered (for example, “Can new users complete onboarding without help?”).
• The tasks that will answer that question.
• The pieces of the interface required to support those tasks.

Then, build only what you need for those tasks. Some of the best examples of creating interactive prototypes for user testing are surprisingly narrow—just enough screens and interactions to support one or two realistic journeys.

For instance, if you’re testing whether users can find a setting, you don’t need the whole app. You need navigation, a plausible settings area, and the target control.

After building your prototype:

• Run a quick dry run yourself and with a teammate.
• Check that all clickable areas work and flows don’t dead-end.
• Label your prototype version and keep notes on what changed between rounds.

This disciplined approach makes your prototypes faster to build and easier to iterate.

2024–2025 trends shaping interactive prototypes for user testing

Interactive prototyping has changed a lot in the last few years. A few trends are worth calling out because they influence how you design and test.

AI-assisted prototyping

Modern tools are adding AI features that can:

• Generate sample UI layouts from text prompts
• Create fake but realistic data for tables and forms
• Suggest interaction flows based on common patterns

This can speed up early examples of creating interactive prototypes for user testing, especially when you’re exploring multiple concepts. Just remember: AI can give you a starting point, not a finished design.

Remote and unmoderated testing

Since remote work has become standard, more teams rely on unmoderated testing platforms. Interactive prototypes are uploaded, and participants complete tasks on their own time.

To make this work, your prototype needs:

• Clear entry and exit points
• Obvious affordances for interaction
• Realistic copy, not lorem ipsum, so users don’t get confused

Because you’re not in the room, any ambiguity in the prototype can derail your results.

Accessibility and inclusive design baked into prototypes

Regulations and expectations around digital accessibility continue to tighten. Prototypes that ignore accessibility are increasingly risky. The U.S. Access Board and Section 508 resources (https://www.access-board.gov/ict/) provide guidance on accessible ICT that can inform your prototyping.

Modern examples of creating interactive prototypes for user testing often include:

• Color contrast checks
• Keyboard navigation paths
• Screen reader-friendly HTML shells for critical flows

Catching accessibility issues at the prototype stage is cheaper than retrofitting them in production.

Making your prototypes feel real without overbuilding

A common trap is trying to make the prototype behave exactly like the final product. You usually don’t need that.

To make prototypes feel real enough for user testing:

• Use realistic content: Real product names, real-looking prices, believable user names.
• Include error and edge cases: At least one example of a failed payment, invalid form input, or empty state.
• Add micro-delays: Instant everything feels fake; a short loading state can make behavior more believable.

Notice how the earlier e‑commerce and healthcare booking examples of creating interactive prototypes for user testing both included error states and realistic copy. That’s what prompts authentic reactions.

At the same time, skip anything users won’t touch in the session. If they never open the profile menu, you don’t need to wire it.

Evaluating and iterating on your interactive prototypes

Once you’ve run your tests, the work isn’t over. The value of these examples of creating interactive prototypes for user testing comes from what you change afterward.

Look for patterns across sessions:

• Where do users hesitate or backtrack?
• Which labels or icons are consistently misunderstood?
• Which steps cause visible frustration or confusion?

Translate observations into specific design changes, then update the prototype and run a lighter second round. You don’t always need a full new study; sometimes a few quick sessions with 3–5 users are enough to validate a change.

If your product touches regulated areas like healthcare, it can be helpful to cross-check flows against trusted resources. For example, if you’re prototyping a symptom checker, looking at how sites like Mayo Clinic (https://www.mayoclinic.org/) or MedlinePlus from the U.S. National Library of Medicine (https://medlineplus.gov/) structure information can inform your content strategy and risk communication.

Over time, keep a library of your own best examples of creating interactive prototypes for user testing. They become templates you can reuse and adapt instead of starting from scratch every time.

FAQ: examples of creating interactive prototypes for user testing

How realistic does an interactive prototype need to be for user testing?
It needs to be realistic enough that users behave naturally for the tasks you’re testing. If you’re validating layout or navigation, medium-fidelity clickable screens are usually fine. If you’re testing detailed interactions, performance expectations, or accessibility, higher-fidelity or coded prototypes are better.

Can you give an example of a low-effort prototype that still works for testing?
Yes. A simple example of a low-effort prototype is a set of grayscale wireframes in Figma linked together to simulate a signup flow. There are no polished visuals, but users can click through the steps. You watch where they hesitate, what they misread, and whether they complete the flow without guidance.

What tools are best for creating interactive prototypes for user testing?
For most teams, Figma covers a wide range of needs, from quick wireframes to polished flows. Axure is strong when you need complex logic or conditional flows. Framer and ProtoPie are great when you want richer interactions without writing full production code. For component-level testing, Storybook or similar tools work well.

How many users do I need to test an interactive prototype?
For formative usability testing, research from usability experts like Jakob Nielsen suggests that 5–8 users often uncover the majority of major issues. You can run multiple small rounds rather than a single large one, updating the prototype between rounds.

What are common mistakes when using interactive prototypes in testing?
Common mistakes include overbuilding the prototype, leaving dead ends or broken links, using placeholder text that confuses users, and testing too many questions at once. Another frequent issue is not planning how you’ll act on the findings—great examples of creating interactive prototypes for user testing always tie directly to specific decisions you need to make.

Should I test interactive prototypes with internal staff or only real customers?
Internal staff are fine for very early, rough checks (for example, “Does this flow even make sense?"). For anything tied to real behavior, expectations, or domain knowledge, you should involve real or representative users. Internal people know too much and often gloss over usability issues your customers will hit immediately.