Prototyping
Envision your prototype as the “rough draft” of your minimal Viable product (MVP). It is something tangible and can be given to test groups, early adopters, and your target consumers. This allows them to visualize your future product. There are several methods for developing prototypes, however, today we will only discuss rapid prototyping.
Rapid Prototyping – This approach utilizes a multitude of interactions to quickly design and develop an application. The goal is to rapidly and regularly improve the layout of the application with a three-step process: prototyping, feedback, and improvement. This process cuts down on the time and cost during development.
The following is a breakdown of what a proper approach to rapid prototyping should entail:
Screen Creation – After mapping out the flow of the application, you need to create the initial screens and wireframes. Each screen should be derived from the list of features that were created for the MVP. It is important to keep in mind the quality of the prototype, it can either be high-fidelity or low-fidelity.
High-fidelity: This type of prototype looks and runs like the MVP will. In other words, it mimics normal user interaction with no back-end coding.
Low-fidelity: This type of prototype is a high-level overview of the MVP but lacks the details of the application. These prototypes are not interactive; nonetheless, it allows individuals to grasp the concept of the application.
Reflect and Review (feedback) – During the review process, the target customers, the design team, and any additional resource, can share their thoughts on the prototype and its necessary changes. It is important to assess both the design and the usability of the product.
Improvements – It is important to take the valuable information you have gathered and implement it into the next version of the prototype. This will allow you to continue to discover its true set of features, and, the possible gaps that need to be filled to appropriately create the MVP. After you make the necessary improvements, take the time to review.
There are some major benefits to rapid prototyping:
Product Market Fit – Having a prototype allows you to collect more meaningful data on the viability of your product in the market.
Speed of Progress – Focusing on the key features of your product allows for short design cycles. This, in turn, permits you to see much of your application while not getting bogged down with minor details.
End-User Feedback – Allowing end-users to give feedback from the beginning enables the design to be refined right away. This process helps reduce the likelihood of substantial changes during the software development stage.
Collaboration – rapid prototyping allows everyone to collaborate and give constant feedback. This is best when you can show the product to stakeholders, team members, and end-users.
Reduce Project Risk – Compared to software development, the low cost of prototyping allows you answer tough questions about the business before you continue the investment.
Remember if you are building the rapid prototyping form, the prototype should only include the features from your MVP list that qualify for the “Must have” and “Should have” categories. The “Could have” features will come later in the process. They will be built onto your product later and used as a tool to maintain leverage over your competition.
If you need help with prototyping, or software development, reach out to Innovative Software Solutions. We have programs that help entrepreneurs take their business concept and turn it into a solution that is ready to enter the market. We would love to hear from you and discover how we can help turn your vision into a reality!