Prototyping Flashcards
What is a prototype?
A prototype is a demonstration of a design which the users can interact with
What are the functions of a prototype?
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
What are the various forms a prototype can take?
Whiteboard drawings
A cardboard model
A piece of software
A film
A 3D printed item
How is the type of prototype chosen?
The type is chosen based off of why the prototype is needed and the type of information the developer wishes to obtain
What are the features of Low Fidelity Prototyping?
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
What are examples of Low Fidelity Prototypes?
Storyboards
Drawings
Paper/carboard/wooden models
What is Storyboarding?
A series of sketches that show how a user may complete a task using the item under development.
How is storyboarding usually done?
It is usually done with a scenario and allows the developers to role play.
The sketches are usually created using icons, stick figures, arrows.
What is the primary requirement of storyboarding?
The same sketch items must be used throughout the project
What are Index cards used for in low fidelity prototyping?
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.
What is high fidelity prototyping?
The prototype looks like or is close to the final product and contains much of the functionality.
How does high fidelity prototyping help the developer?
It allows the developer to evaluate the product in use within the user’s environment.
What is used to create high fidelity prototypes?
The prototype is developed with a software development programming language and tools.
What are the types of high fidelity prototyping?
Throwaway prototyping & Evolutionary Prototyping
Describe throwaway prototyping
Here the prototype is used to gather data for the final application. It is then discarded, and a new final application is built
Describe evolutionary prototyping
Here the prototype forms the foundation of each iteration of the design. The prototype evolves into the final application.
What are the advantages of throwaway prototyping?
A higher quality application can be produced.
Problems are detected earlier and future maintenance issues are reduced
What are the disadvantages of throwaway prototyping?
It takes longer to produce the final application
Includes the costs of developing the prototype and the final application
What are the advantages of evolutionary prototyping?
Allows bringing the application to the market faster.
Can cost less to develop the first release of the application
What are the disadvantages of evolutionary prototyping?
Problems may be carried over through each iteration, never being corrected.
Maintenance problems are left to later
Give 5 differences between low and high fidelity prototypes
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.
What is Conceptual prototyping?
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
What is Concrete prototyping?
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).
