User Prototype
1. What is a User Prototype?
A user prototype is essentially a simulation, often described as "smoke and mirrors" because it creates a façade of a real product without any actual functionality behind it. For example, in a user prototype of an e-commerce site, users might be able to enter credit card information, but no real transaction occurs.
2. Different Types of User Prototypes
User prototypes vary in fidelity:
Low-Fidelity User Prototypes: These are basic and often resemble interactive wireframes. They primarily represent the product's information architecture and workflow without incorporating visual design or actual data.
High-Fidelity User Prototypes: These prototypes appear very realistic and closely mimic the final product. They include detailed, realistic data (though the data isn't live), and it might take a closer inspection to realize they are simulations.
“Low Fidelity vs High Fidelity Prototyping.” Tan, Fredo. ProtoPie. https://www.protopie.io/blog/low-fidelity-vs-high-fidelity-prototyping
3. How to Create a User Prototype
User prototypes can be created using a variety of tools designed specifically for product designers, suitable for every type of device and fidelity level. Many product designers have preferred tools for prototyping. Additionally, some designers opt to hand-code their high-fidelity prototypes, which is acceptable as long as the process is quick and the prototypes are treated as disposable.
These are some of the tools that product managers and product designers uses to create user prototypes:
4. When to Use It and Some of Its Limitations
User prototypes are particularly useful for testing and refining the user experience, such as the shopping experience or search functionalities in an app.
It also helps product designers discover problems early on in the product development lifecycle, allowing them to fail fast and iterate through ideas without incurring the full cost of delivering a full product.
Performing user tests with prototypes provides valuable feedback that designers can use early in the design process to avoid costly mistakes. A major benefit to prototypes is the ability to determine what users consider to be the product’s purpose.
However, they are not suitable for validating the market potential of a product—like whether it will sell. This is because user feedback on high-fidelity prototypes can be misleading; users may praise the prototype but behave differently in real situations. It’s crucial for product teams to understand that user prototypes are not appropriate for validating the value of a product and to use more robust techniques for this purpose.
Feasibility Prototype
1. What is a Feasibility Prototype
A feasibility prototype is a preliminary version of a product or component, developed primarily to address and evaluate technical risks before full-scale production.
It typically involves writing just enough code or setup to test specific aspects such as new technologies, algorithms, or the integration of unfamiliar systems. This prototype is not intended to be a complete product but rather focuses on determining whether a concept is technically feasible.
2. Different Types of Feasibility Prototypes
Feasibility prototypes can vary based on the type of feasibility risk they address. Common types include:
Algorithm Feasibility: Testing new or complex algorithms to ensure they deliver the intended outcomes.
Performance Feasibility: Assessing whether the product can perform under expected loads and conditions.
Scalability Feasibility: Evaluates a system's ability to scale up or down, ensuring the product can scale according to user demand without degradation.
Fault Tolerance Feasibility: Determines how a system responds to errors or failures, checking the system's robustness and its ability to handle errors or failures.
Technology Adoption Feasibility: Evaluating new or unfamiliar technologies or systems to understand integration challenges and functional reliability.
3. How to Create a Feasibility Prototype
Creating a feasibility prototype typically involves:
Identifying the specific Feasibility Risk: Pinpointing what specific risk or new element needs testing.
Developing Minimal Code: Writing just enough code to evaluate the feasibility, without delving into full product development features like UI, security, or complete error handling. Keep the prototype as simple and direct as possible—often the code is intended to be disposable ("quick and dirty").
Rapid Testing: Quickly testing the prototype to gather data on whether the concept could work in a real product environment.
Iteration: Modifying the prototype based on findings to better address the feasibility issues until an adequate level of confidence is achieved.
4. When to Use It and Some of Its Limitations
Feasibility prototypes are used when there is uncertainty about the technical viability of a new feature or technology within a product, or when there are significant unknowns that could impact the project's success. They are crucial in the early stages of product development to avoid the costs and time of pursuing unviable technologies.
Feasibility prototypes are particularly valuable in evaluating the following feasibility concerns:
Algorithm concerns
Performance concerns
Scalability concerns
Fault tolerance concerns
Use of a technology the team has not used before
Use of a third-party component or service the team has not used before
Use of a legacy system the team has not used before
Dependency on new or related changes by other teams
Limitations:
Feasibility prototypes are not fully functional and lack many elements like user interfaces and error handling, which are necessary for a complete product.
They are designed to be temporary and not for long-term use, often discarded after testing.
This form of prototyping may not provide comprehensive insights into user experience or market demand but focuses strictly on technical aspects.
Feasibility prototypes are an essential part of the discovery phase in product development, helping teams avoid costly mistakes by ensuring technical aspects are sound before proceeding to the delivery phase.
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