Week 1 Exercise - What Are Prototypes?

I believe prototypes are the early stages of a design. Prototypes can take many forms ranging from physical to digital such as a simple paper prototype or an interactive simulation.

Prototypes can be made out of anything, depending on the type of design/product. For example, for physical prototypes, paper or clay can be used. For digital prototypes, you will need the right software for wireframing or creating an interactive simulation.

Whether through physical or digital methods, prototyping is an essential process to ensure the final product does what is required without flaws. Prototyping exposes the strengths and weaknesses of a design. The more tests that are done, the better the final product will be.

Below is an example of a paper prototype and a digital prototype.

This paper prototype is for the design of a UI for a mobile application.

This digital prototype simulates the aerodynamics of a car.