Prototype Development

A Prototype is the construction of simplified and incomplete models of a design to explore ideas, elaborate requirements, refine specifications, and test/validate functionality. They allow you to explore abstract concepts or ideas and animate or bring them to life. They elaborate requirements by illustrating what is necessary to put an idea into action. A prototype is often seen as an enahnced form of paper specification. A working prototype can be shown to potential users and stakeholders to observe how they interact with it in order to validate & test assumptions, interaction models, and information architecture. Utlimately they provide valuable feedback on the likely success of a design, and can high-light potential issues before resources are commited to design & development.

Why?

When exploring new concepts or design ideas, it is beneficial to create lo-fi prototypes to examine the effectiveness of the idea in more depth and provide a way to easily explain the concept to stakeholders. Also before taking a complex design, new user interaction or product into a more detailed development phase, it is good practice to create a lo or hi-fi prototype in order to visualise and test key elements of the concept on target users, and share a more rich experience of the design with stakeholders.

Prototyping

 

What?

A prototype can be lo-fidelity such as a paper prototype, visual card sorting, or basic modeling. Or it can be hi-fidelity using HTML, Flash, or other visually rich coding techniques. There are also several prototyping software tools available, and some of the most common wireframing utilities such as Axure RP, Omnigraffle, Fireworks, and Visio have built-in features that can be applied directly to wireframes, sketches, or visual compositions to create click-dummy prototypes; create active hot-spots that link to actions or other views. Other simple iPhone apps or Presentation software can be used to create simple click-dummy prototypes, and cameras/camcorders in conjunction with video editing software can create a visual walk-through or promotion of the concept.

Omnigraffle PSP Prototype

Types of Prototype

  • Proof-of-Concept
  • Form Study
  • Usability
  • Visual
  • Functional
This is normally used to test aspects of the intended design without attempting to exactly simulate the visual appearance, choice of materials or intended manufacturing process. Such prototypes can be used to "prove" out a potential design approach such as interaction, mechanics, architecture, etc. They can be used to identify which design options will not work, or where further development and testing is necessary.
This allows designers to explore the basic size, look and feel of a product without simulating the actual function or exact visual appearance of the product. They can help assess ergonomic factors and provide insight into visual aspects of the product's final form.
This is aimed to test human interaction and is primarily used to support user focused research. While intentionally not addressing possible aesthetic treatments, this type of prototype does more accurately represent the overall size, proportions, interfaces, and articulation of a promising concept. This allows early assessment of how a potential user interacts with various elements, motions, and actions of a concept which define the initial user scenario and overall user experience.
This captures the intended design aesthetic and simulate the appearance, color and surface textures of the intended product but will not actually embody the function(s) of the final product. These can be used in market research, executive reviews and approval, packaging mock-ups, and photo shoots for sales literature.
This is often referred to as a working prototype and will attempt to simulate the final design, aesthetics, materials and functionality of the intended design. Enables a final check for design flaws and allows last-minute improvements to be made.