After the testing phase comes the prototype phase. All the research comes together and ideas go from thoughts and ideas go onto physical objects. But just because this is the last step before the test phase doesn’t mean it is one and done. Like the other steps before it, the prototype stage may take several attempts. The best advice is don’t try to create the perfect prototype in one shot exhausting all your resources and thoughts from overthinking, because it may not be the solution. The best thing is to just build. And the best prototype is one that is empathy based.
What is a prototype? The Interaction Design Foundation defines a prototype as “a simple experimental model of a proposed solution used to test or validate ideas.” The best thing about a prototype is that it can take many forms because every problem situation is unique in finding a solution. Some people may choose to adapt a smaller version and see if their concept works first before going into more detail. If others are confident they may try and give a complete prototype to see if any flaws in it arise. Seeing a product in a physical form can help to reveal things that were hard to notice before, so designers should be ready to adapt their design if there are new problems or realizations. Bringing ideas in from the previous stages is important and what is learned in the prototype stage should make its way to the testing phase as well.
Even though the best thing is to just start building, there are still some things to keep in mind when creating a prototype. Keeping in mind who is going the test the prototype is key and how the user will use it. The prototype phase allows for designers to show others their vision rather than just using words and allows for them to see their true feelings towards it. Looking at the prototype in the early stages can help to show any problems with the design allowing for a quicker and easier fix before getting too far into it. The prototype can help to serve as a dress rehearsal before the big show. Seeing how people interact with it can help to show any problems but also to reinforce success or failure of solutions from problems that were raised in earlier stages. Having been looking at their design for multiple hours, designers can sometimes become blind to the smaller errors but this stage also allows for how the design holds up with human interaction, which can be unpredictable. Designers can try and map out all of the problems and faults that could arise during their early staging but they know how the design works. It is a completely different scenario when someone who hasn’t seen the design tries to work the prototype. That is why it is key for designers to keep in mind who they are designing the product for and put themselves in that state of mind and in need of a solution to a certain problem(s) when going through all the stages.
