In this phase, ideas become tangible. Teams create simple prototypes and test them in their Zone 1 — within their immediate community, with people who matter to them, and in spaces they already know well. The goal of the first step is not perfection, but understanding: what happens when our idea meets reality?
Through conversation, observation, and feedback, the solution evolves, adapts, and gradually matures. Learning happens through testing, mistakes, small adjustments, and the willingness to listen to what people and places are telling us.
This is the phase where the idea reveals its true shape. We see what works, what still needs to grow, and where more care and attention are needed — toward the people who will use it and the place that will hold it.
У овој фази идеје постају опипљиве. Тимови праве једноставне прототипове и испробавају их у својој „зони 1“ — у најближој заједници, са људима који су им важни и са простором који већ добро познају. Први корак није савршенство, већ разумевање: шта се дешава када нашу идеју сусретне стварност?
Кроз разговор, посматрање и повратну информацију, решење се мења, прилагођава и постепено сазрева. Учење долази кроз пробу, грешке, мале помаке и спремност да чујемо шта нам људи и простор поручују.
Ово је фаза у којој идеја показује свој прави облик. Видимо шта делује, шта треба још да расте, а где је потребно више пажње — према људима који ће је користити и према месту које ће је носити.
Tool 14:
Prototype in Zone 1
This tool helps the team turn an idea into a small, tangible first step in their closest environment — Zone 1. Instead of waiting for perfect conditions, the group tests a simple experiment that allows learning through experience.
A prototype can be a conversation, a spatial setup, a message, a micro-event, or another small intervention — anything that can be tested and observed.
Working in Zone 1 creates safety and quick feedback, helping the team see what works, where resistance appears, and how the idea can evolve.
Tool 15:
Impact Check
This tool helps the team pause before going into the community and look at their idea from a broader perspective. Instead of asking only “does this work,” the group reflects on how the prototype affects people, relationships, and the community.
Through guided reflection, the team checks whether the idea truly contributes to the system in which it operates and whether it has the potential to develop in a responsible and sustainable way.
Tool 16:
Testing with the Community
This tool opens space for a real encounter. After the idea has taken its first form, it is time for it to leave the safety of the team and enter into dialogue with the community. Through conversation, reactions, and silence, the prototype begins to live within a real context. The goal is not to receive confirmation, but to hear how the idea resonates with others.
Testing is the moment when the solution stops being “ours” and becomes part of relationships, trust, and a shared space of learning.
Download the full DLAG toolkit! The DLAG toolkit includes a complete overview of the methodology, all phases, tools, supplementary materials, and additional resources.