Week 1 - Prototypes! What are they?

Prototypes are in-progress models used to demonstrate basic concepts of a final product. They are not usually in a finished state; rather the important functions are highlighted.

Prototypes can take many forms, from flat, to 3D, to digital; the main purpose is to convey the overall concept of the idea to people. For projects such as car parts, physical moving parts may constitute part of a prototype, where as a prototype for a website could include a hand-drawn wireframe.

The most basic prototypes can be simply drawn with pen and paper. Depending on the detail and complexity required, prototypes could be made out of clay or wood, or digitally created using software.

Prototypes are an important part in determining if the final product will work. Prototypes simplify a product down to the core concepts so that if something isn’t suitable, it can be spotted easily and fixed. They help determine strengths and weaknesses in the product design.

Without prototypes the designer could lose a bit of focus on the practicality of the core concepts of their idea. They might create something that is almost useless in real-life, even though it may stem from a solid idea.