Prototyping

Refer to the section on Prototyping in the Product Development Reference of the textbook by Mattson and Sorenson, who write

Prototyping is the act of physically constructing an approximation of a product or part of a product

also refer to the local resources listed on this page.

Prototypes are ways of experimenting with different realizations of the object or process you are designing. To get a good benefit from the prototype, it is important to have a clear purpose in mind for creating the prototype. In other words, a prototype is a mechanism for answering a design question, and therefore it is smart to have that question in mind before you put energy into creating the prototype. This idea is expressed in the prototype to test method card from the Stanford d.school.

Suggestions

Review the Prototyping section in the second half of the textbook by Mattson and Sorenson. The textbook authors suggest a four-step plan

1. Establish a purpose
2. Choose a targe approximation level
3. Create a prototyping schedule (especially for complex or high fidelity prototypes)
4. Develop an experimental plan

Some additional recommendations

• Focus on the problem, not on the solution
  • Don't fall in love with your prototype: it's a tool to finding a solution, not the solution
  • Have many ideas, especially at first. If the prototype fails, you learn something
• Focus on the user or the application
  • Let the user decide – don't sell your idea
  • Use the prototype to elicit user responses. Watch how the user interacts with minimal instruction, especially at first. Add instructions later if the user is confused.

Examples

• Evolution of the OXO Vegetable Peeler

• PVC frame for quad copter uses cheap, common (easy to find and purchase) materials that are probably sub-optimal (for weight).

• Smart Pantry is an example of a late stage prototype that demonstrates sensor, motor and user-interface elements with a low-cost physical structure

Prototyping Resources in the Maseeh College

• MME Machine shop
• Mechanical Engineering Lab Team and MELT wiki
• Portland State Laboratory for Interconnected Devices

and additional resources on this page.

Further Reading on Prototyping

1. Pretotyping:

   • Pretotyping the Palm Pilot
   • Pretotyping Book
   • Pretotyping@Work
   • Seminar at Stanford in 2012 is an entertaining focus on innovative ideas and businesses

   The Pretotyping Manifesto

2. The Ultimate Guide to Prototyping on UX design for software. However, this may be useful for understanding the prototyping process.

   The benefits of prototyping (according to Philip van Allen) are

   1. Decision-making: choices about economics, shape, function, production methods, …
   2. Focus: get feedback from all senses, not just words and ideas
   3. Parallelism: gathering feedback, setting requirements, brainstorming new concepts can happen at same time