Week 9-Design and Prototyping

Design and Prototyping

Prototype, this word I always hear from some sci-fi manga or movie. In that time, prototype in my view is a testing product to finalize and improve the end product. For example, in the comic or movie, before the factory come out the end product of their jet fighter or robot, there always use a test machine call prototype machine to obtain all information there need to improve the final machine.

After the class about prototyping this week, I realize there are more about prototype. According to Wikipedia.org, A prototype is an early model or sample that creates to test the concept or the process to create the final product. Prototype is created to allow the stakeholder to interact with the envision product, gain experience under the realistic setting and exploded imagined uses. In another word, Prototype is a limited representation of design that allow user to interact and experience it usability.

Prototyping is very useful in the process of design. It is an aid when discussing ideas with the stakeholders. Beside than that, it also smoothen the communication between the team members and make the test idea/concept effective.

Prototyping can be divided to 2 categories which are low fidelity prototyping and high fidelity prototyping.

Low fidelity prototyping is a way of prototyping that tend to be simple, cheap and quick to produce. It is simple and can be corrected easily so it very useful in the discussion or communication with the stakeholder and users. It supports the exploration of alternative designs and ideas. Since it is mostly used for communication and testing, it not intended to be kept and integrated to the final product. Low fidelity prototype mostly used for explode purpose. Low fidelity prototype do not look alike to the final product. This kind of prototype can be made by paper, cardboard rather than electronic product. Examples of low fidelity prototyping are: story board, sketches, index card and wizard of Oz (user sits in front of the computer and interacts with the computer software as through interacting the final product. The computer is connected to another machine that controlled by the operator that stimulated user‘s response.)

High fidelity prototyping

High fidelity is the opposite of the low fidelity prototyping. It use material that will used in final product and produce a test product that look alike to the final product. This kind of prototype not suitable for the purpose of explode and experience since it take a long time to build. Beside than that, the designer are reluctant to change the prototype since they put a lot of afford on it and the prototype can be spoiled by some unsolved bug or error. Even though there are some issues and disadvantages, it is useful to selling the ideas and testing of technical issues.

Prototyping involved of compromising. 2 common compromising methods in prototyping are horizontal and vertical prototyping. Prototype product need to transform to a conceptual product where people can easily know how to do with the product and understand how to interact with it. Key guiding principles of conceptual design are be open minded but not forget the users and the concept, always communicate with the stakeholder, used low fidelity prototype to gain the rapid feedback and iterate in any situation.

Source of information:

www.wikipedia.org

lecture note