Prototyping is a stage in interface design with the singular aim of meeting the usability goal of the product. Prototyping ensures that the product whose development is ongoing meets the needs of the user.
Prototyping should not come at the end of the design. It should take place before and during the design so that there are clear solutions before the interface design. With user requirements, one can create valuable solutions in various numbers and begin prototyping.
Prototyping aids visualization because it helps the project team, stakeholders, and users understand what the product will look like. Every aspect of the product is put under consideration and its components are created to an interactive level where everyone sees a clear user solution.
Feedback is received through this process, and the product is re-evaluated. The following components are tested to develop it fully:
Prototyping gives room for objectivity from every party concerned with the product. A product is visualized and criticized at an infant stage. Its target audience is employed to evaluate the acceptability of the product.
The best prototyping path is to create several infant solutions to a particular user need. The solution is presented to the discovered user needs. The presented solution is tweaked until there is a final acceptable solution. Prototyping is either high-fidelity or low-fidelity in nature.
Low-fidelity prototyping is of lesser quality than the desired product. Low-fidelity prototyping entails a design sketch on physical materials like paper or board.
The sketches are made and the connection to every part of the product is made on paper or board.
For example, you can perform low-fidelity prototyping by sketching the web pages and linking the button tabs to the pages when building a web page.
Here you can link the login button to the login page and the signup button to the signup page. It shows the same flow as the website.
Low-fidelity prototyping is of low quality and also low cost. It saves resources, but may not have every function that a website should have.
Note: This may not end in a good result on usability testing
High fidelity prototyping means a high quality product. High-fidelity prototypes are mostly built with software and are more credible for usability testing because they have every interactive feature the user needs to give feedback to the design team.
High fidelity prototyping allows every designer and team to interact with the product to ensure the user can fully use it before implementing it as a solution.
As far as design is concerned, prototyping is fundamental and should be engaging to ensure quality product development. It displays every detail in the design with its functionalities.
It can go through a series of re-evaluations before one starts to design the product entirely. It saves money and time in the matter of interface or product design.
Prototyping is a process of interface design that helps ascertain the usability of the product to be built. Prototyping helps represent the various functionalities of the product. It ensures the precision and interactivity of the various components. At the end of prototyping, the solution is clear to every member of the design team.