Early assessment of perceived customer value: a case study comparing a low- and high-fidelity prototype in dentistry

Abstract

Perceived customer value is the measure of how customers perceive the total worth of a product or service. Providing a high perceived value is crucial for businesses to gain a competitive edge over their rivals and ensure long-term success. Prototyping has been shown to be able to measure perceived customer value and effectively collect user feedback early in the process before significant investments are made. However, the effects of prototype fidelity on assessing perceived customer value are yet to be explored. Nevertheless, the fidelity levels of a prototype should be accounted for since they significantly alter the prototype's complexity, appearance, and functionality. This paper explores such effects using a low- and a high-fidelity prototype applied to dentistry. The paper used qualitative and quantitative methods to gather feedback from dental healthcare experts and patients. Our study suggests that both low-and-high fidelity prototypes are suitable for assessing customer value. Furthermore, the fidelity levels complemented each other, improving the overall user feedback.

Keywords

• Prototyping
• low-fidelity prototype
• high-fidelity prototype
• Design Thinking
• Perceived customer value