Lesson 4 - 10 Types of Prototypes

Before creating a new product, businesses begin with an idea. When it's time to turn an idea into a
working product, designers first create a prototype or working model to examine its value.
Understanding the various types of prototypes can help you decide which one to choose for presenting
your idea to an audience or testing a feature of a new design. In this article, we explain prototyping and
give examples of common ways to make different prototypes.

What is prototyping?

Prototyping is a foundational process for developing a new product through the physical
representation of an idea. Prototyping helps designers turn a concept into a functioning item.
Using basic sketches and rough materials, the prototype may be a simple drawing or rough
model that helps innovators determine what they need to improve and fix in their design. For
example, engineers may complete a working model prototype to test a product before it is
approved for manufacturing.

Prototyping also offers a way to solve problems and try out new designs before moving to the
stage of a finished product. This process can be used to test designs throughout all stages of
production.

Types of prototyping

Here are some of the most common ways that prototypes are created for both digital and physical
products:

1. Sketches and diagrams

Whether you're in a lunch meeting and sketch an initial idea on a napkin or make a more
formalized picture using a ruler and ink, a paper prototype can be useful for beginning the
process of conceptualizing and forming a new product. This is perhaps the most basic form of
prototyping, but using a paper drawing is still a widely used way to share a concept.

2. 3D printing or rapid model

Three-dimensional printing allows engineers to quickly create a realistic model of a design using
a computer and printing machine. This prototype allows businesses to move from design to
production phase quicker because they can use the 3D model to identify flaws or areas that need
adjustment. Once the design is complete, it can be easily modified based on observations and
testing. The prototype file simply needs to be digitally reprogrammed. 3D prototypes are used to
simplify big designs like engines and aircraft parts.
3. Physical model

A prototype model can be made with anything from building bricks to craft paper. It doesn't need
to have working parts—it just gives a rough idea of the design. This prototype works well for
creating scaled concepts before producing a large-scale model. Physical model prototypes can be
useful for smaller crafted objects or even architectural designs.

4. Wireframe

A wireframe acts as a digital diagram or layout of the product. This is a common prototype used
for websites, software or other digital tools. It can be used by anyone working on the project —
from copywriters to developers — to navigate the structure and placement of different content.

5. Role-play through virtual or augmented reality

Certain designs benefit from a visualization tool like virtual or augmented reality. Imagine
presenting the initial design for a new theme park. You can test development by "walking"
through the park as if construction has already finished using VR goggles or even a smartphone.

6. Feasibility

Feasibility prototypes are used to test certain features that are added at a later stage in the design
process. Used both digitally and for physical models, these allow designers to augment a design
after creating an initial prototype. If a designer suddenly realizes they are missing an essential
part of the product, a feasibility model is made to be adapted as new ideas arise.

7. Working Model

A working model prototype allows you to test the idea of a product to see if it actually functions
the way you intended. This is useful for mechanized inventions or other designs with features
that need to move or fit a certain way. The idea is to follow initial plans to see if the design really
works.

8. Video Prototype

Video prototypes are often used to present a product in the form of an animated video or even a
simulation that explains and graphically represents a project. They often show films of other
prototypes to help others — like fellow designers, the management or even consumers —
visualize the product.

9. Horizontal

A horizontal prototype shows a design from the user end. It's used mostly in software design to
help engineers understand the human interface of a project. Horizontal prototypes show menus,
windows and screens on a computer to test how users interact with the product.
10. Vertical

These prototypes are digitally created to improve a database design. They are considered "back
end" models used to test important functions in software before it moves on to another design
phase.

How do you choose a prototype?

Before creating a prototype, a designer or engineer needs to consider the outcome they want to
test. If they are simply trying to make a basic model that takes their design off of paper, they can
work with less attention to detail. Testing whether a product can function with a working model
requires more precision.

Designers also need to consider who will see the prototype. If the prototype is for a sales
presentation or a meeting with upper-level management, it will need to be functioning with a
clean and easy-to-understand design. For example, a software developer may work within a
wireframe when with their team but will create an animation of the user interface for a
presentation to company executives.

Tips for creating and using prototypes

As you plan and create a prototype, consider these tips to help your process:

• Consider the conditions. When you create and test a prototype, you need to consider how
the item might work outside of testing conditions in a lab or controlled environment. You
may also need to test prototypes in ways that will account for different types of use and
wear.
• Change things if necessary. If you create a prototype that reveals a design flaw, move
back to an earlier model or design. Make any needed changes and start again with a new
prototype.
• Think about safety. Prototypes are a way of checking to ensure the safety of a design.
For digital works, this can mean protecting against cybercriminals and hackers. Physical
models need to test functionality for users to ensure safety as well.
• Involve the team. Assembling a prototype with team input is important from the
beginning. Teammates can spot different areas for improvement and work together to find
solutions.