What do i think a prototype is? Based on the knowledge from web design, prototypes are models of an intended design, it’s provide a common reference point and a way to make design ideas or intentions concrete and explicit. There are two main types of prototype, first one is throwaway prototype, this type of prototype is used to test design or implementation decisions then discarded. Another type is evolutionary, the prototype will keep evolve and eventually becomes the final product. According to the introduction of this course, I think we will conduct throwaway prototype for our project.
Prototypes also can be described according to their resolution, there are two types, low fidelity prototype which shows low level of detail, unsophisticated and partial representation,another one is high fidelity prototype which shows high level of detail, sophisticated in approach and more complete representation.
one familiar example from last semester is the paper prototype which is a simple form of low fidelity prototyping, it’s created using paper or index cards, the tools include pens, scissors, rulers, glue or tape, sample images. Paper prototype allows quick adjustments to the prototype and it’s looks rough, because it’s focuses feedback on foundational aspects rather than superficial elements. When we want to test one function of project, we may use low low fidelity prototype.
Here are some example for High fidelity prototype, they are more close to the final product.
Prototyping is an important skill of design process, because it can help us find design issues early, iterate more quickly on a design concept, compare design variations quickly and also can perform user testing earlier. There are lots of benefits of prototyping, i hope i can learn more about prototyping from this course.
