Determining what to prototype Pt 1
Determining what to prototype is part of the ideation phase of design. Written shortly, it is the process a team can go through that will help to further progress design implementation and practice by the use of one or more prototypes in a way that allows for critique and new inspiration. In some ways, this can be thought of in the way that we think of “focus groups” or “trial groups” in that a small group or individual will get to try out a basic prototype that will determine the future development.
Benefits:
Allows for more thorough feedback
Good for quick analysis and improvement
Downsides:
Can use lots of materials
Making prototypes can take awhile
Prototypes are often built “scrappy” and may not last long
One of the most important things I believe should be followed, is that the prototypes are just that, they aren’t really meant to make it to another stage of the design process. The main goal of determining prototypes is to find what is to find important details that may have been overlooked in the concepts or schematics. Determining what to prototype can bring to light these issues and anything else that is deemed important. A more refined prototype can be developed later, and this can be a very worthwhile precursor.
Another important tool that is mentioned on DesignKit is to brainstorm after determining a type of prototype to test. This may use some inspiration tools before returning again to ideation and can lead to a much more practical and well-thought-out testing product.
