Prototyping in software development — A small tool with great benefits

Why prototyping?

A prototype is a first sketch of your software or individual functions. It's an illustration that makes your idea more tangible. It serves the first Look & Feel and make sure that you can discuss your idea with others.

Distinction: prototype vs. MVP 

A prototype is an early test version of an idea, often incomplete and only slightly or not at all functional, in order to test design, concepts, or technical feasibility.
 
A Minimum Viable Product (MVP) On the other hand, an already market-ready version of a product with the minimum necessary functions is

How does prototyping work?

1. Set a goal: First, think about what exactly you want to test. Is it about the design? Would you like to play through a specific process? Should users quickly recognize how to navigate through the application?
2. Build a prototype: You're creating a simplified version of your product. This does not have to be perfect, but should provide a basic idea. This can be a scribble on paper or even a clickable version in a suitable tool.
3. Get feedback: Show your prototype to potential users, test it yourself or let other experts look at it. Collect everything that catches your eye: What works, what irritates?
4. Customize and improve: Based on the feedback, you decide what you want to change or rethink about the prototype. Then test again until you get a clear picture.

What types of prototyping are there?

There are various approaches to prototyping. The selection depends on how deep you want to go and what goals you have.

Low-fidelity prototype

• What is that? A very rough, simple presentation. Often sketched on paper or digitally.
• advantage: Extremely quick and inexpensive to implement. Illustration of initial ideas that are likely to change significantly

High-fidelity prototype

• What is that? Significantly closer to the end product. Often with real design elements, interactive buttons, animations, etc.
• advantage: Users and stakeholders can better imagine what it will ultimately look and feel like. You can play through features in more detail.
• Disadvantage: More complex to create and modify. When yourself basic Changing ideas may have meant wasting a lot of work.

Throwawaway/rapid prototype

• What is that? A quickly created prototype that is not further developed but discarded after the test phase.
• advantage: You get insights quickly and don't have to build a large architecture because none of it will last anyway.
• Disadvantage: You may incur additional costs if you have to rewrite the same part from scratch later.

Evolutionary prototyping

• What is that? You keep expanding your prototype until it becomes a finished product at some point.
• advantage: No throwaway work, but everything flows directly into the end product. Feedback is constantly flowing in, you have a very tight learning and adaptation loop.
• Disadvantage: Initial and experimental decisions can become the basis for the later system. This is the risk that a temporary solution will become an unstable permanent solution.

Prototyping examples

Sketches for an app

You've got an idea for a new fitness app. Before you write a line of code, record the most important screens: start page, workout selection, progress bar, etc.

You can then discuss these sketches with other people and get feedback. Where would you click? Where are certain links expected? Which function should be placed where?

Clickable web interface

In a company, you want to digitize a new internal process.

With a tool like Figma or Adobe XD, you build a clickable design of the user interface within a few days: buttons, forms, process from step A to B.

This allows your colleagues to test whether they understand the process and whether all necessary information is being queried. Based on the feedback, you can change the screens. Only when that works, do you hand out the order for the actual software development.

3D model for virtual reality (high-fidelity prototype)

Imagine that you are working on a VR application, for example for a virtual trade fair. You don't just want to throw a picture on the wall. So you create a high-fidelity prototype in which your users can already walk through a virtual exhibition stand. Not all exhibitors and products are integrated, but everyone involved can see what the end result could look like — and you'll quickly see whether they like the navigation or the interaction.

Prototyping: Your start in software development

Prototyping is a valuable tool. It helps you to make your idea understandable and tangible for others. Once that is achieved, you can discuss the idea with your team and develop it further from that point on.

If you've already formulated ideas for a software project and would now like to learn the next steps, we'll help you. Tell us your goals and we'll discuss together how we can implement your software for you.

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