DESIGNING PROTOTYPES

TYPES OF PROTOTYPING
• Prototyping methods are generally divided into two
separate categories:

Low-fidelity prototyping.

High-fidelity prototyping.

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 LOW-FIDELITY PROTOTYPING
• Low-fidelity prototyping involves the use of basic models or examples of the
product being tested.

• For example, the model might be incomplete and utilise just a few of the
features that will be available in the final design, or it might be constructed
using materials not intended for the finished article, such as wood, paper, or
metal for a plastic product.

• Low-fidelity prototypes can either be models that are cheaply and easily
made, or simply recounts or visualisations of them.

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 LOW-FIDELITY PROTOTYPING
• Examples of low-fidelity prototypes:

 Storyboarding.

 Sketching.

 Card sorting.

 Wizard of Oz.

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 LOW-FIDELITY PROTOTYPING
Pros of Low-Fidelity Prototyping

• Quick and inexpensive.

• Possible to make instant changes and test new iterations.
• Disposable/throw-away.
• Enables the designer to gain an overall view of the product using
minimal time and effort
• Encourages and fosters design thinking.

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 LOW-FIDELITY PROTOTYPING
Cons of Low-Fidelity Prototyping

• An inherent lack of realism.

• Depending on your product, the production of low-fidelity prototypes may not be

appropriate for your intended users.

• Such prototypes often remove control from the user, as they generally have to
interact in basic ways or simply inform an evaluator, demonstrate or write a blow-by-
blow account of how they would use the finished product.

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 HIGH-FIDELITY PROTOTYPING

• High-fidelity prototypes are prototypes that look and operate closer to the
finished product.

• For example, a 3D plastic model with movable parts (allowing users to

manipulate and interact with a device in the same manner as the final
design) is high-fi in comparison to, say, a wooden block.

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 HIGH-FIDELITY PROTOTYPING
Pros of High-Fidelity Prototyping

• The stakeholders can instantly see their vision realised and will be able to
judge how well it meets their expectations, wants and needs.

• User testing involving high-fi prototypes will allow the evaluators to gather
information with a high level of validity and applicability.

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 HIGH-FIDELITY PROTOTYPING
Cons of High-Fidelity Prototyping

• They generally take much longer to produce than low-fi prototypes.

• After devoting hours and hours of time producing an accurate model of

how a product will appear and behave, designers are often loathed to
make changes.

• Software prototypes may give test users a false impression of how good the
finished article may be.

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 LOW-FI VS HIGH-FI PROTOTYPING

• Due to the pros and cons of low-fi and high-fi prototyping,

• It should be no surprise that low-fi prototyping is the usual option during the
early stages of a Design Thinking project.

• while high-fi prototyping is used during the later stages, when the test
questions are more refined.

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 DEVELOPING AND USING PROTOTYPES
EFFICIENTLY

• Plan less, experiment more

• Minimize effort

• Correct at an early stage

• Tolerate errors
10 AMAZING HOVERCRAFT
PROTOTYPES
 PROTOTYPE METHODS
Sketches and Diagrams

• Sketching is one of the earliest forms

of prototyping.
• It requires very little effort and does
not necessarily rely on artistic levels
of drawing skill to prove useful, and
therein lies its value.
• Use sketches to illustrate your ideas
and launch them into the real world

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EXAMPLE…
 PROTOTYPE METHODS
Paper Interfaces

• Paper interfaces are handy at the

early stages of prototyping for
digital products.

• You can create paper interfaces by

sketching them out, or by drawing
and cutting out usable parts of a
user interface

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EXAMPLE…
 PROTOTYPE METHODS
Storyboards

• Storyboarding, as a prototyping
method, ensures that we know our
users well enough and allows us to
keep in mind the context of the
solution we are designing.

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EXAMPLE…
 PROTOTYPE METHODS
Lego Prototypes

• Lego is a staple of any kid's toy box.

Its versatility and ability to spark
imagination is what drives the
company's success.

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 EXAMPLE…

Design Thinking PSG college of Technology Prakash.J

 PROTOTYPE METHODS
Wizard of Oz

• Wizard of Oz prototypes are

prototypes with faked functions —
for instance, interactivity that
comes from a human rather than
an algorithm or software code, with
users believing the latter is the case
— that you can use to test with your
users.

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 EXAMPLE…

Design Thinking PSG college of Technology Prakash.J

 PROTOTYPE METHODS
Physical Models

• When the end result is a physical

product, you can use a wide range
of materials to build mock-ups for
testing.

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 EXAMPLE…

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 10 MOST UNUSUAL VEHICLES

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 ACTIVITY…

Develop a prototype model for a newly planned to launched Apple

Mobile Phone.

Can select any 2 prototype methods/Tools of your choice

Features of the mobile can be decided by you.

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