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On Prototyping

Andrew BoydSMS Management and TechnologyApril 2008

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Definition

According to WikiPedia:

“Prototyping is the process of quickly putting together a working model (a prototype) in order to test various aspects of a design, illustrate ideas or features and gather early user feedback.”

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Audiences

According to Todd Warfel they can be used:1. As a common communication platform (the whole

project team)2. To work through a design (design team)3. To sell your idea internally (internal stakeholders

including management)4. To gauge technical feasibility (coding team)5. As an external marketing tool (external stakeholders)

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Design is something we do with people

…not to them

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When do we prototype? Conceptual and detail

Revolutionary/Conceptual

Evolutionary/Detailed

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Revolutionary/Conceptual vs Evolutionary

Revolutionary/Conceptual Evolutionary/Detailed

All over the place Small steps

Better earlier Better later

Brainstorming, Edgecraft and Reframing

Negotiation, agreement, compromise

Get it all out there - discuss the crazy ideas

Narrow it down

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Why get the thrashing out of the way early?

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Why get the thrashing out of the way early?

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Why get the thrashing out of the way early?

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How prototyping can avoid thrashing

Prototyping (done early & well) == Process (defined)

And

Process (defined early) == Less late/scary thrashing

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What’s the WIIFM?

For the organisation: Let’s save some money by getting the chaos out of the way early

For the designer: Let’s move up the value chain into the strategic and conceptual space

For the end user: I love responsive systems that give me what I actually need

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Prototyping tools

The least important part of the process It should always, always be "What do you think of this

idea?" not ''Check out the size of my prototyping tool, baby".

Who uses which tools?

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Why the headlong rush to the keyboard, boy?

What's wrong with a pencil and paper for a start? (or a whiteboard?)

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Some tools in use

Axure

Visio

Mind Manager OmniGraffle

Whiteboard

Pen and paper/napkin/menu

ConceptDraw

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Conclusion

1. Conceptual prototyping can save you a lot of pain2. The best tool is experience (combined with peer review and absolute self-honesty)

email me facibus@gmail.com or see the blogs: http://humaneia.com http://iaslash.org http://iacanberra.org

Questions?