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• What Do Prototypes Prototype?

Low-fidelity prototypes are really about what, not how. – Patrick Dubroy

Paper prototypes or other mockups are used clarify requirements and enable draft interaction designs and screen designs to be very rapidly simulated and tested. There are several benefits:

• Potential usability problems can be detected at a very early stage in the design process before any code has been written.
• Communication between designers and users is promoted.
• Paper prototypes are quick to build / refine, thus enabling rapid design iterations.
• Only minimal resources and materials are required.

Paper prototypes are considered low-fidelity prototypes. Again,  it’s a quick-and-dirty way of doing usability testing for user-centered design. Because paper prototyping can be done so quickly and cheaply, you can iterate through a bunch of different designs in a short amount of time.

Low-fidelity prototyping is generally accepted to be a “best practice” in software design. But even its strongest supporters admit that it’s not appropriate for every situation.

Low-fidelity prototypes are really about what, not how. When you are designing new interaction techniques, the how is often the most important part. How does the system respond to the user? Does it feel responsive? Does it feel natural? Is it cumbersome or repetitive? These questions are hard to answer with a low-fidelity prototype but at times they are necessary. Don’t believe me? Then watch the below video. It’s kinda…awesome:

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What I’m listening to at work right now:

Loco Dice – Paradiso by esperance0087

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