In history, Grigory Potemkin erected elaborate fake painted village facades along Catherine the Great's travel route to create a false impression of prosperity.
In software design, a Potemkin Village prototype is an illusion that only works if the user clicks the exact single button the designer intended. The moment a test participant clicks anywhere else, the prototype freezes or breaks.
To conduct valid usability tests, prototypes must provide sufficient functional depth that users can explore naturally without crashing into dead ends.
Level 6 · Workflows and Deliverables