CarloFrinolli.it ~ AI and Rapid Prototyping

The problem

Design Sprints work when the problem is defined. Lean works when you can measure. But what do you do when the ground shifts beneath your feet? When user experience is no longer linear, mappable, sometimes not even interface-based? Traditional frameworks are slow. Agencies cost too much. Your dev team is already maxed out. And meanwhile, the idea sits in a Figma file that no one will ever test with real users. We need another way. One that accepts imperfection as method, not failure.

What changes

From weeks to hours

A working prototype in one work session, not after three sprints.

From enterprise budgets to accessible investment

AI tools slash development costs. The value is in strategy, not coding hours.

From certainties to experiments

We're not looking for the perfect solution. We're looking to learn as much as possible in the shortest time.

From solo to collective

AI accelerates, but transformation happens in relationship: with the team, users, stakeholders.

The approach

I work with a framework I've refined in daily practice — a four-phase process inspired by alchemy, not for esoteric reasons but because it reflects what actually happens when you design in uncertainty. It starts with dissolving certainties (what do we think we know that might be wrong?), moves to purifying principles (what really matters?), experiments with impure materials (ugly prototypes that teach), and arrives at synthesis (what have we learned that we can carry forward?). It's a cycle, not a line. And it works particularly well when combined with AI tools that accelerate each phase.

Tools in the laboratory

Ekitai

Complete websites without code. Landing pages and MVPs in hours.

Claude / ChatGPT

Sparring partner to challenge assumptions and generate variants.

v0.dev / Bolt / Lovable

Working prototypes from prompts. Test the idea, not your coding ability.

Midjourney / DALL-E

Visualize concepts before building them. Show, don't tell.

Claude Code / Cursor

Real MVPs built through conversation. Code becomes material, not obstacle.

What's included

**5-hour Sprint** An intensive session to go from idea to testable prototype. Ideal for validating a specific hypothesis. **2-day Workshop** For teams who want to internalize the approach. We work on a real project, you learn the method. **Ongoing Consulting** Long-term support for complex projects. Weekly sessions, reviews, iterations. **AI Training for Designers** Practical course on integrating AI tools into your daily workflow.

Who it's for

• **Early-stage startups** that need to validate ideas quickly without burning runway • **Product teams** with clogged backlogs who need to test hypotheses before building • **Freelancers and consultants** who want to offer prototypes to clients without depending on developers • **Companies in transformation** that need to experiment with new models before investing It's not for those seeking certainty. It's for those willing to get their hands dirty.

RESOURCES

Want to dive deeper into the approach?

I've put together a document that explains the alchemical framework in detail: the four phases, concrete activities for each, AI tools that accelerate the process, and guiding questions to understand where you are. It's not theory — it's what I use every day.

Ready to experiment?

Tell me what you're trying to build. Let's see together if it makes sense to work on it.