Chapter 11 is about prototyping, including the types, reasons for using one, low fidelity vs. high fidelity, specific models for prototyping, and how to design them. A prototype is something a person can use to interact with an envisioned product, gain some insight, and explore new unimagined uses. They can be low-fidelity, like the storyboard examples, or high-fidelity like software created using Visual Basic. Both can be very helpful, and there are advantages and disadvantages for each. Low fidelity prototypes are cheaper, easier to create, and great for getting useful initial market data. While, high fidelity prototypes are great for their functionality, interactiveness, look and feel, and will give the user a great idea of what the final product will be like. Then the book moves into conceptual design. The conceptual design is the transforming of the conceptual model based on the needs and requirements of the user. And the first step is to go over all the data we have about the user, and put oneself in their shoes. Then you will have a picture of what the product will be like. To develop the conceptual model , a lot of the design will come from the requirements, with the help of metaphors, interaction types, and interface types. After coming up with a conceptual design we move on to the physical design. Physical design is about making choices and decisions, and a designer must balance environmental, user, data, and usabilty requirements with functional requirements. With the help of scenarios, and the storyboards that can be created from them, one can create simple card-based prototypes. From there, one can expand to generate more advanced prototypes like a paper-based prototype or even a software-based prototype. The chapter ends with the tools that can support the designer in developing their prototype.
I feel this chapter is something very important for anything that is designed. Prototyping is something that many companies use in the process of developping a final product. I saw a special once on the Discovery Channel and it was showing the some of the steps in the design of a new automobile. It showed how it all starts out at their design studio with all of their tools. It showed their computers and how they used sketches that designers had come up with to design a computer model that was then transferred to a clay model witch is the final prototype before the first high-fidelity prototype is rolled off the assembly line. I thought it was a great example of how prototyping is used in the auto industry and connects great with the class. Can anyone think of any other great examples of how prototyping is used in today’s market?
May 25, 2008 at 6:32 pm
I think this is a good point that you make. More developed design disciplines such as automobile, architecture, clothing design have used prototyping and sketching and the design process in general for a very long time, but software has (and to a certain lesser extent still does) resist a design process that emphasizes modeling/prototypting and user centeredness.
May 27, 2008 at 11:48 pm
To answer your question on prototyping in today’s consumer market, I think it’s interesting to mention ice cream. I know it’s not technical, but there is definitely a lot of prototyping going on. I recently saw an insight into an ice cream “creation lab”. A guy basically makes different prototypes, flavors/concoctions, and goes through a process to create something like Red Hot ice cream. This actually demonstrates the entire design process, not just prototyping. User research must be done to find interesting flavors to create, the design ideas, the prototyping, and then the evaluation.
May 29, 2008 at 7:01 pm
I often watch the Food Network and there is a show called the Food Network Challenge. A couple weeks ago this guy proposed to his fiance at the beginning of the show then the couple were additional judges (they have pro chef’s judging too). There were four or five chef’s competing to have their elaborate cake design chosen for the couple’s engagement party. The Chefs interviewed the couple and asked them what they were looking for, colors, height, themes, flavors, etc. and then sketched elaborately realistic drawings of the cake they were going to make for the couple. The entire time they were making the cakes the couple was walking around and the chefs continued to ask questions and explain their design, seeking approval. At the end the bride to be and her fiance chose a cake and she said she chose it because the chef stuck to the design and paid attention to the details and really listened to what she was asking for. I thought it was really interesting way to see the design process and the final product (huge wedding/engagement cake).
June 1, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Food is not something we talk about in design, but you could definitely see there is a functional (which is often de-emphasized in these kinds of competition including taste to a certain extent and nutritional value) and form, which they are all judged on. Each discipline’s design goes a little bit differently to suit whatever needs they have as designers, but I definitely agree that design can be seen all over the place: food creation not least of all. Great examples both of you.
May 4, 2009 at 12:39 am
You raise some great points on prototyping that resonate well with me. I just posted on a related topic that deals with doing requirements and Ux design/prototyping in Agile environments. It’s at: http://uxstudio.wordpress.com/2009/05/04/agile-user-experience-design/