Northwood Studio by Smith Horn Group
Product Studio: From Research to Tested Prototype
Last updated: December 1, 2025
End-to-end product development from user research to validated prototype. We handle discovery, prototyping, and testing — so you can make decisions with confidence.
Start a Project →Validate Before You Build
Building the wrong product is expensive. 72% of new product features fail to deliver expected business outcomes (ProductPlan, 2024). Engineering time is scarce. And by the time you realize something isn't working, you've spent months and burned runway — the average cost of a failed product initiative is $450K-$1.2M in wasted development (Gartner, 2024).
Most teams skip validation because it feels slow. Customer interviews take time. Prototypes require design resources. User testing needs coordination. So they jump straight to building — and hope. Yet companies that invest in upfront user research reduce development costs by an average of 33% and cut time-to-market by 50% (Forrester Research, 2023).
Our Product Studio compresses validation into weeks, not months. We run the research, build the prototypes, test with real users, and give you clarity on what to build next. You get evidence, not opinions.
What You Get
User Research & Discovery
We talk to your customers, users, or target market. Structured interviews, contextual inquiry, jobs-to-be-done analysis. You get a research report with clear recommendations — not just transcripts.
Rapid Prototyping
We turn insights into tangible prototypes. Clickable Figma prototypes, functional (deployed) MVPs, or AI-powered proof-of-concepts. We build fast, iterate based on feedback, and keep fidelity appropriate to the decision you need to make.
User Testing & Validation
Prototypes meet real users. We run usability tests, concept tests, and validation sessions. You see exactly how people respond. We synthesize findings into clear recommendations.
Product Recommendations
Every engagement ends with clarity. A prioritized roadmap. Go/no-go recommendations. Technical considerations for production. You leave with a decision framework, not more questions.
Who We Work With
Founders Pre-Product-Market Fit
You have an idea and early traction, but you're not sure exactly what to build. You need to validate before committing engineering resources.
Product Leaders Launching New Lines
Your company is exploring a new product direction. You need research and validation without pulling your existing team off their roadmap.
Executives Considering AI Transformation
You're evaluating AI-powered features or products. You need to understand what's possible, what users want, and what's worth building.
How We Work
Week 1-2
Discovery
- • Stakeholder interviews to align on goals
- • Research design and participant recruitment
- • 8-12 user interviews conducted and synthesized
Week 3-4
Prototyping
- • Insights translated into prototype specifications
- • Rapid prototyping in Figma or functional code
- • Internal review and iteration
Week 5-6
Testing
- • 6-10 user testing sessions
- • Synthesis and analysis
- • Final presentation with recommendations
Timeline is typical — we scope every engagement to match your needs. Some projects compress to 4 weeks; others extend to 8+ for complex validations.
Client Success Story
Validating Product Direction Through Research
Read the full case study →"We achieved our sign-up goals from brands and agencies, and his AI-powered prototyping approach gave us frameworks we continue to use. His combination of AI fluency, direct customer engagement, and network of personal relationships with relevant partners, accelerated our ecosystem strategy into actionable results."
— Ran Rubinstein, General Manager, Cloudinary
Frequently Asked Questions
Pricing depends on scope — number of interviews, prototype complexity, testing depth. Contact us for a custom quote. Most engagements fall between a focused 4-week validation sprint and a comprehensive 8-week discovery initiative.
We're method-agnostic and pragmatic. We commonly use: semi-structured interviews, contextual inquiry, concept testing, usability testing, card sorting, first-click testing, and surveys. We choose methods based on what questions you need answered.
Yes. We can lead the engagement end-to-end, or collaborate with your team on specific phases. Some clients have us run research while their designers build prototypes.
That's a successful engagement. The goal is clarity, not confirmation. If research reveals that an idea won't work, we've saved you months of engineering time and helped you redirect to something better.
Product Studio is project-based: we validate a specific product direction over 4-8 weeks. Fractional is ongoing: we embed with your team and provide continuous product leadership. Some clients start with a Studio engagement to validate direction, then transition to Fractional for execution.
Let's Validate Your Next Product
"Teams that validate through prototyping and user testing are 4.5x more likely to launch successful products" — Nielsen Norman Group, 2024
"Every dollar invested in UX research returns $10-$100 in value" — Forrester Research, 2023
Tell us about your product direction and we'll scope an engagement that gives you clarity.
Start a Project →