Week 1 Practice

What do YOU think a prototype is?
A prototype is a product which is still in its early stage for the builders to run tests and analysis. Usually, before the completion of the final product, multiple prototypes would be made and each prototype is often being developed by the builders. 

What form does it take?

Since a prototype is usually used to test or run some certain specific functions of the project/program, each prototype is not expected to be fully functioned. For example, a game controller would usually have multiply prototype only to test whether it could be felt comfortable by the gamer. 

What do you need to make one?

Certain ideas or opinions are required before making a prototype. New ideas could be emerged after test each built prototype. Although making a prototype usually does not require too much resource (or at least a lot of them compared with the volume production), some project related resources are still important to the prototype, such as software, building materials, user interface, etc. 

What is it used for?

As mentioned before, a prototype is used to test a certain function or effect of a project/program. Meanwhile during the test, apart from testing the functionality or effectiveness, the prototyping could also spot new problems to the whole system. 

What is its purpose?

The main purpose of the prototype is to find and solve any known or unknown problems before carrying out the project. This would reduce the cost of or adjustment or debugging. In other word, the mistake could be appeared as early as possible to the builders (because they are inevitable). 

When would you create one?

I think prototyping could be implemented after the designing and simple testing. Because new problems would usually emerge when every design element being put together, it has to be a form of the product that everything "seems to work" but not quite. A prototype would provide an easy and clear platform for the builders to see their product in a whole form. 



Lecture notes from week 2

The goals of prototype:

1.  Form (Representation)
2. The level of control (Precision)
3. How much control a user has to it (Interactivity)
4. How long it exists for (Evolutionary)