When you’re working on bringing a brilliant idea to life, a prototype is the bridge between your imagination and reality. Prototypes are the models of products and systems that could solve a market problem.
Expert engineers and designers can develop different types of prototypes for testing concepts across industries. In this article, we’ll look at the various prototypes, their applications, and how they’re used in product development.
What Is a Prototype?
A prototype is an early sample model of a product built to test a concept.
Whether a product design team is trying to solve an existing product issue or develop a new product, a prototype can create a working draft that informs their design strategy.
Prototypes are based on market research and problem-solving sessions among design teams. Prototypes are used for:
- Testing ideas
- Checking viability
- Harnessing feedback
- Verifying feasibility
- Refining concepts
Types of Prototypes
The following list is for both physical and digital prototyping. Digital products encompass much of our daily lives and are central to business operations around the world. Digital product development prototypes range from visual representations to narratives to experiential models.
Manufacturing prototypes for physical products uses some of the concepts from digital product prototypes but may require more tangible models to get the necessary feedback. A variety of prototypes for physical products can give users the information or experience needed to inform the product development before going into production.
1. Sketches and Diagrams
Type: Low-fidelity
Sketches and diagrams are prototyping essentials, as they communicate the design direction to potential users. They can be easily revised, allowing stakeholders to provide input that can be captured in subsequent versions.
Sketches and diagrams are conceptual and often function to create a dialogue. Simple diagrams are often used in system design, conveying a general layout and volume of system components and devices. One type of diagram as a prototype would be an electrical line diagram that shows the relationship of system components but does not provide a buildable plan.
2. Paper Prototypes
Type: Low-fidelity
Paper prototypes are useful as quick, inexpensive models. While fairly simple to produce, they utilize in-house art and design skills to create product mockups. While they may be made with paper, they can also be made with cardboard, foamcore, or other low-fidelity materials. These types of prototypes are great for testing scale and simple user interactions.
Below are some foamcore prototypes for a variety of projects we worked on at StudioRed.
3. Mockups
Type: Low- to mid-fidelity
Mockups are low- to mid-fidelity types of prototypes used to quickly begin user testing, and they can also help with exploring product experience or the look and feel of a design. Mockups are particularly useful for showcasing key features and visual representations. For example, in medical device prototyping, a mockup for a new device might test button placement and where a monitor for a patient’s vitals would go.
4. Feasibility
Type: Low- to high-fidelity
Feasibility is a major consideration in any product development when you’re creating something that hasn’t been done before. This type of prototype can be complex, as it involves experiments and predicting outcomes. This type of prototype is an evolution of technology that can disrupt industries.
When testing the idea of hybrid and fully electric vehicles (EVs), for instance, auto manufacturers used feasibility prototypes to see if it was possible. For hybrid vehicles, they had to experiment with integrating both gas and electric motors. They also had to see if EVs could have a reasonable battery life while powering all of the electronics in the vehicle and crucial components like the engine.
5. Video Prototypes
Type: Mid-fidelity
Video prototypes are another way to convey the story of a digital product in a real-life context. Video prototypes show how users will benefit from the product in development. These types of prototypes can be used to present product ideas early in the development process and create the potential for stakeholder buy-in or investment. Product development teams can use video prototypes for most any digital product, such as websites, apps, or informational kiosks.
6. Horizontal Prototypes
Type: Mid-fidelity
Horizontal prototypes are primarily a way to map navigation through a digital product to highlight key features, but the horizontal concept can be used for physical products as well They are a type of diagram that can visually convey the main organization of a digital product.
During the prototype development process, these prototypes help align team members and stakeholders on the top-tier features before delving into navigation details. They’re especially useful in website design, where top-level menus help users navigate to their interests and needs.
7. Wireframes
Type: Mid-fidelity
Wireframes are diagrams that convey the layout of features found in digital products like smartphone apps. Development teams can create them by hand or via software to map shapes representing a digital landscape. Wireframe prototypes are often used in the early planning stages of website and app design. Whether created in analog or digital format, wireframes can help design teams capture user input and rearrange a system layout for improved user experience.
8. Clickthrough Prototypes
Type: Mid-fidelity
Clickthrough prototypes take the testing phase into an interactive mode. This allows user groups to navigate a design themselves rather than follow a predictive path from the design team presentation. Clickthrough prototypes can be useful in late development testing to finalize a digital design before investing resources. This type of model is useful for websites, apps, or interactive displays such as wayfinding kiosks.
9. Vertical Prototypes
Type: High-fidelity
While horizontal prototypes are broad in features, vertical prototypes are deep in functionality and narrow in features. Vertical prototypes are highly granular and focused on the details of the overall system. As detailed diagrams, they can provide opportunities to gain feedback from targeted audiences on relevant product features. Vertical prototypes are sometimes used for physical products as well.
Roughly 36% of smaller companies rely on customer feedback to drive product strategy, and that’s where vertical prototypes can help. For example, there may be several user groups to consider in website design, such as employees, clients, or vendors. Vertical prototypes in website development allow the design team to ask each user group which components they’ll use.
10. Working Model
Type: High-fidelity
Working models are an important step in the engineering design process. They represent design research and development feedback captured early in the design process so it can be tested with user groups. Toy companies often make a working model for kids to test in a focus group to provide feedback.
A working model can help flush out any functionality problems before a product goes into production. It’s often created at a near-final stage of the product development process.
11. Functional Prototypes
Type: High-fidelity
Both working models and functional prototypes occur toward the end of the product design prototyping process but serve different purposes. While working models are concerned with how well a product works, functional models focus on how the product works. Designers use them to get feedback form users and make refinements, and it’s a great way to generate excitement among team members or investors.
A new smartphone could be an example of a functional prototype. It could have core functionalities, basic apps, a functional camera, and a touchscreen. After users test it, designers can get valuable information about hardware and software performance, ergonomics, and battery life.
12. Minimum Viable Product
Type: High-fidelity
A minimum viable product (MVP) is a stripped-down version of a final product. It provides just enough functionality to solve the original problem. Early computer products that broke through technology barriers were often presented as minimum viable products.
The first cell phone prototypes, for example, only tested the idea of cellular communications. They were far from the complete information and communication devices we now consider standard as personal mobile phones. MVPs are models that can set the market and attract attention to a company for its innovation.
How To Choose the Right Prototype for Your Project
Choosing the right prototype for your project may seem daunting at first, but it’s an important part of the engineering design process. Following best practices includes defining a set of criteria that can also help you determine what you need to learn from prototype testing.
Start by identifying the target audiences, key features and functionality to be tested, and what criteria needs to be met for a successful product. This may lead to the need for more than one prototype, depending on the complexity of the product and its relevance to each user group.
Ask the following questions to help you choose the right type of prototype:
- What’s our budget?
- What’s our deadline?
- Do we need low-, mid-, or high-fidelity prototypes?
- Will our testers be technical or non-technical users?
- Can we conduct any user testing remotely?
It’s also helpful to ask, “What’s our goal?” Whether you’re aiming to quickly test the feasibility of your ideas or to develop a functional prototype for user testing may change how you approach your prototype.
Once you have answers to some of these questions, you can narrow down your choices and decide which digital or physical prototype is right for your project.
Tips for Creating the Perfect Prototype
Your prototype represents the team’s collaborative efforts to solve a problem. It should reflect the time and effort that has gone into its development and engage the audience to provide useful feedback.
Know Your Audience
Knowing your audience’s needs, preferences, and capabilities is paramount in the prototyping process. By aligning your prototypes with your target audience’s expectations and abilities, you can effectively communicate your design ideas, gather valuable feedback, and make informed decisions.
Iterate Often
The prototyping process is intended to create opportunities for continual improvement. Creating iterations of your prototype is a way to effectively move the design process forward. Use this time to gather feedback, make adjustments to your design, and get closer to the final version of the product.
Collaborate Effectively
The prototype stage of the design process is exciting, as it represents the team’s collective ideas and expertise coming to fruition. Effective team collaboration throughout the design process will help determine the most useful type of prototype for testing. Regularly have meetings for project updates and brainstorming sessions to solve complex problems when they aries.
Use the Right Tools
Prototypes can be created by hand or using specialized software. The type of tools depends on the type of prototype needed — low-fidelity prototypes can often be created with low-tech tools, while medium- and high-fidelity prototypes may require more complex toolsets to create testable models.
Partner With a Qualified Team
Prototype creation is a process that benefits from experienced guidance. While any design team can create prototypes, working with seasoned professionals to navigate testing and refinement can yield more effective product development outcomes.
Get More Eyes on Your Product Design
Prototype development is an exciting step in the product design process. A well-designed prototype can engage users and create excitement about a new product. Understanding the types of prototypes available and gaining expert guidance to help navigate the process is a crucial step toward a successful product launch. Contact the StudioRed team today to see how we can help bring your product ideas to life.
