Involving users in design and evaluation of interactive systems has been emphasized strongly in HCI, and particularly in User Centered Design (UCD). However, in most UCD approaches users are not sufficiently involved in the early stages of the design process, namely, ideation and exploration of alternatives. We emphasize user involvement in these early activities by introducing two new user-centric techniques: multiple prototyping and user sketching. The multiple prototyping technique allows users to explore several design alternatives, resulting in more informed ratings and feedback. We found that when presented with multiple prototypes, participants produced significantly lower ratings, and stronger criticisms, compared to those exposed to a single prototype. The user sketching technique facilitates reflection and creativity, allowing participants to generate and communicate more reflective feedback such as design proposals. Together, the two techniques promise more active user involvement early in the design process, resulting in more informed design decisions.