After returning from a wonderful Spring Break, we were reintroduced to the topic of prototyping, and the many kinds and purposes they can give to designers. There are a couple different types of prototypes, classified by our professor:
There is a classic notion of what a prototype is. This type of prototype is meant for iterative system design and to help foster the generation of ideas. At some point during the creation of this type of prototype one creates something, and uses this something as a tool for evaluating the ideas and interaction the prototype affords.
There is an exploratory notion of what a prototype is. This type of prototype is akin to what some call “interactive sketching”, and the point of these is to facilitate the communicative process between different people during the design process.
There is a research notion of what a prototype is. This type of prototype is akin to probes, where one makes a version of a system, and “releases it to the wild”. By releasing, we mean to give the prototype to users to get a better understanding of the use of the prototype, and to also get access to their lifeworlds. This prototype will also help the designer to become literate in the realm of the user and be better able to empathize with them, potentially creating better designs grounded from insights from actual people.
Here’s an FYI for those wanting to get a job in the design field: getting good at making these is a skill one should have, and will most likely be tested on interviews, so keep these skills sharp!
In the field today, the term fidelity (faithfulness) is still thrown out as a description for the types of prototype someone wants built. There aer low fidelity prototypes, which are used near the beginning of the design process, and looks very sketchy (literally). High fidelity prototypes are used in the middle or towards the end of the design process, and this type behaves and looks very similar to how the final system will be built.
We usually make UI prototypes, which simulate the interface of something. These mimic the look and behavior of what a system might actually do, but the code behind them is mostly forgery, or done in a “Wizard of Oz” style. Many of these are created in Flash, PowerPoint, and paper.
Some of us may actually get to make technical prototypes. These are prototypes of a system which simulate the behavior of the system. This is usually done from a programming standpoint.
There are even prototypes which emphasize the snapshot of the system one is trying to make. These are horizontal (which capture entire systems superficially, and Information Architects love these) and vertical (which prototype the behavior of a small section of a system) prototypes. There also might be diagonal prototypes (a term I made up), which might blend the nature of both of these (I see these as a first playable or an alpha of a video game, which utilizes the quick overview of a game, but has some parts in higher detail to show where the game is going).
Some in the field might also make the assumption that high fidelity means the use of much technology. This is not true, as some paper prototypes can be very slick, made in Photoshop, use index cards and tape to simulate the behavior (all of which are high fidelity in look and feel), but involve no technology at all. The reverse can be true as well.
An important point to note when creating prototypes is that when the prototype looks especially slick, the feedback one will receive will only be about fonts and colors (pretty much). One may have to use reverse fidelity prototypes to get the feedback one wants about the task flow and such. Creating reverse fidelity prototypes is when a slick prototype is made to look sketchy on purpose, and there is software out there that’ll do just that.
To see paper prototyping in practice, take a look at what Common Craft (opens in a new window) has done with the practice. They make hard concepts simple, just by using paper prototyping skills.
And applause if you get the reference mentioned in the title of this post.