6 Prototyping

Engineers often rely on iterative prototyping — repeating the brainstorming, prototyping, feedback part of the design sequence — to improve and refine a design.  Since the goal of each iteration is to get feedback and improve the design, this means that you must build prototypes that are created as experiences for people to try and to react to (not just shown and talked about). Keep in mind that the point of prototyping is to explore the ideas, so you don’t need to figure out everything before trying something.

Prototype Resolution

Prototypes vary from low to high resolution. A low resolution prototype is cheap, fast build designed to give a sense of the scale and a general impression of the overall design.  Mid-range prototypes are include enough the of critical functions of the device to show that the design is feasible. High resolution prototypes are detailed realistic representations of the final design.  The process of iterative prototyping generally produces higher resolution prototypes on each iteration.

Low resolution

The goal of a low resolution prototype is to quickly evaluate multiple ideas.  Teams will often take multiple (2-5) ideas into low resolution prototyping from a brainstorming session.  The goal is to use the build-to-think process to get started.  Build-to-think processes are used when the process of physically building helps you figure out what to do next.  A low resolution prototype is generally made of cheap, easily accessible materials (paper, cardboard, foam) and can take between minutes and a couple of hours to build. Wizard of Oz techniques are used to simulate functionality, such as bending a paper clip to simulate the tactile feel of a button.  The low resolution device can then be shared within the design team or with other users to get feedback on the design.  Throughout the semester you will create several low-resolution prototypes as part of your semester long design project that incrementally improve in fidelity as you refine your idea.

Mid-range resolution

In this course, the goal is to produce a mid-range prototype that can demonstrate proof of concept.  The mid-range prototype should perform the critical functions of the device but is often made of cheaper materials or is scaled to make working on the prototype easier. The design criteria you set for your project will identify which features need to be operational in your mid-range prototype.

High resolution

The goal of a high resolution prototype is to produce a complete design that users can evaluate before going into production. The main difference between mid-range and high resolution prototypes is that device has all of the functionality, look, and feel of the final device. In the end, successful high resolution prototypes are often used as demonstration devices for marketing or attracting investors.

Your first prototype

When building your prototypes keep two ideas in mind:  build-to-think and prototype-to-test. When you are ready to build your first low-resolution prototype, just start building.  The act of working with materials (paper, tape, and found objects are a good way to start!) will often be enough to get you thinking.   Build every prototype with a test in mind.  Identify what’s being tested with each prototype and think about ways you can get feedback on this feature when you share it with users. Considering what you are trying to test in advance will ensure that you get meaningful feedback.