Prototyping

Question 1

What is a prototype?

Answer 1

A prototype is a demonstration of a design which the users can interact with

Question 2

What are the functions of a prototype?

Answer 2

A prototype allows developers to show their ideas to the users.

Enables the users to try out the ideas and determine what is missing and what is wrong

Allows the developer to move from a concept to a concrete product in an iterative matter

Question 3

What are the various forms a prototype can take?

Answer 3

Whiteboard drawings
A cardboard model
A piece of software
A film
A 3D printed item

Question 4

How is the type of prototype chosen?

Answer 4

The type is chosen based off of why the prototype is needed and the type of information the developer wishes to obtain

Question 5

What are the features of Low Fidelity Prototyping?

Answer 5

The prototype does not look like or function the same way as the final product

It is a low cost method for exploring ideas and designs

The prototypes are discarded and do not form part of the final product

Question 6

What are examples of Low Fidelity Prototypes?

Answer 6

Storyboards
Drawings
Paper/carboard/wooden models

Question 7

What is Storyboarding?

Answer 7

A series of sketches that show how a user may complete a task using the item under development.

Question 8

How is storyboarding usually done?

Answer 8

It is usually done with a scenario and allows the developers to role play.

The sketches are usually created using icons, stick figures, arrows.

Question 9

What is the primary requirement of storyboarding?

Answer 9

The same sketch items must be used throughout the project

Question 10

What are Index cards used for in low fidelity prototyping?

Answer 10

It is used to explore the structure of the user interface. Each card represents a specific interactive item such as a menu, a button or a screen.

Question 11

What is high fidelity prototyping?

Answer 11

The prototype looks like or is close to the final product and contains much of the functionality.

Question 12

How does high fidelity prototyping help the developer?

Answer 12

It allows the developer to evaluate the product in use within the user’s environment.

Question 13

What is used to create high fidelity prototypes?

Answer 13

The prototype is developed with a software development programming language and tools.

Question 14

What are the types of high fidelity prototyping?

Answer 14

Throwaway prototyping & Evolutionary Prototyping

Question 15

Describe throwaway prototyping

Answer 15

Here the prototype is used to gather data for the final application. It is then discarded, and a new final application is built

Question 16

Describe evolutionary prototyping

Answer 16

Here the prototype forms the foundation of each iteration of the design. The prototype evolves into the final application.

Question 17

What are the advantages of throwaway prototyping?

Answer 17

A higher quality application can be produced.

Problems are detected earlier and future maintenance issues are reduced

Question 18

What are the disadvantages of throwaway prototyping?

Answer 18

It takes longer to produce the final application

Includes the costs of developing the prototype and the final application

Question 19

What are the advantages of evolutionary prototyping?

Answer 19

Allows bringing the application to the market faster.

Can cost less to develop the first release of the application

Question 20

What are the disadvantages of evolutionary prototyping?

Answer 20

Problems may be carried over through each iteration, never being corrected.

Maintenance problems are left to later

Question 21

Give 5 differences between low and high fidelity prototypes

Answer 21

Low fidelity focuses on a specific idea whereas high fidelity is almost functionally complete

Low fidelity is more cost and resource efficient whereas high fidelity is resource intensive

Low fidelity isn’t useful for usability tests, high fidelity is used in usability testing

Low fidelity can be revised quickly, high fidelity takes time to make any revisions

Low fidelity is used strictly inhouse, high fidelity can be used for marketing purposes such as demos.

Question 22

What is Conceptual prototyping?

Answer 22

It is the exploration of ideas and concepts. It uses exploratory tools such as storyboards, index cards and mockups.

It enables the testing of ideas for incorporation into the concrete versions of the final product

Question 23

What is Concrete prototyping?

Answer 23

It is the development of the actual product. It uses the knowledge gained from the conceptual stage and uses software development tools such as an integrated development environment (IDE).