Prototyping

Once the product concept is more clearly specified, prototypes can be produced which better illustrate interface functions. Depending on client needs, these prototypes can vary in their level of detail. Thus, in some cases the user experience will be limited but an important subset of that delivered by a finished product (for example, in a foam core mock-up of a handheld device). In other cases the superficial user experience might be identical to that of a finished product (for example, in a web application). The overall emphasis is on creating an experience that in several critical, demonstrable ways mimics that of a finished working product. The amount of refinement developed for any particular prototype should directly reflect the maturity of the products design - rough prototypes facilitate users giving broad based feedback and more detailed prototypes encourage more specific user feedback reactions. We aim to use a range of prototypes to facilitate ever more specific type of user feedback.