Republic of the Philippines

Technological University of the Philippines

College of Industrial Technology
Electronics Department

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Name: John Carlo D. Mendoza
Course: BET CpET
Subject: BET 1- Orientation to BET, Seminars and Field Trip
Professor: Elvin T. Balais
Topics: The Three Phases of Product Prototyping
Date of Submission:

TRANSFER JOURNAL No. 10

Prototyping is more than just the creation of a tactile mockup. It’s both a proof of
concept using off-the-shelf hardware mixed with DIY materials and a fully-functional product
constructed of precision-crafted components. Each prototype represents a step forward along
a product roadmap and corresponds to an increasing score along the Technology Readiness
Level scale.

I’ve also realized that the majority of startups are grossly underestimating the amount
of time and/or effort it will take to complete the task. It doesn't mean you're ready to produce
just because you have a prototype that looks and feels like the completed product. There are
still a lot of details to figure out such materials selection and selection of components, as well
as tolerance analysis, assembly sequence, serviceability, design validation, and certification.
Many developers will seek the assistance of a design firm to guide them through the various
stages of product development. In the long term, a design partnership may cost more in the
beginning, but it can save you a lot of time and money in the long run. Early on, most
successful product developers will consult with a design consultant.

They also discussed that the entire prototype process can be divided into three stages.
As seen in the graph below, these phases approximately correlate to a progression along the
technological readiness level (TRL) scale: To acquire a better understanding of the prototype
process, we’ll look at each phase individually.

First is the Alpha Phase, The initial iteration of prototypes is known as the alpha phase,
and it is largely concerned with two questions: Is the product going to work? Will it have a
physical appearance and feel? In most cases, two distinct prototypes are required to answer
these issues, one for fundamental functioning and the other for user experience. The first two
are referred to as "proof of concept" and "appearance prototypes" respectively.

Second is the Beta Phase, The product roadmap's beta phase aims to develop and
improve the product's design by combining input from previous iterations' testing and lessons
learned as the process progresses toward a final product. Also, it's a chance to produce
prototypes that are more like the final product in terms of both appearance and functioning,
allowing for more thorough and thorough testing. The engineering prototype and the
production prototype are the two new versions that will be used in this phase. This level of
detail usually necessitates a team with extensive product design and production experience,
and it is at this point when Inertia is most needed.
 Last is The pilot - effectively the first unit to roll off the assembly line – is the final
prototype, which is the commencement of mass production. It could be sold since it was built
utilizing mass-production manufacturing techniques. Because of the requirement for product
quality evaluations and approvals, as well as final product testing and certification, it is still
regarded a prototype (if required).

The prototype’s exposure aids in the unification of all ideas and allows the recipients to
gain a new perspective on the product. You’ll be able to see it come to life and give them more
specific feedback on the details you’re looking for. When a prototype is made available to a
small group of people, it allows them to see how their product will interact with them and
satisfy their expectations ahead of time. And that is the importance of Prototypes.