By Mark Gruszecki What is a prototype A prototype is a specific kind of design object Most think of a prototype as an iterative object that evolves to help elicit requirements Can there be more than one prototype for a particular project ID: 555279
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Slide1
Anatomy of Prototypes
By: Mark
GruszeckiSlide2
What is a prototype?
A prototype is a specific kind of design object.
Most think of a prototype as an iterative object that evolves to help elicit requirements.
Can there be more than one prototype for a particular project?Slide3
Dimensions of Prototypes
Prototypes should be developed to test and develop a specific piece of the system.
GUI, User Interaction, Data Functions, Integration of Components, etc.Slide4
Prototypes as Filters
When a prototype is used to test a specific aspect of the system, it essentially filters the other aspects out.
This allows designers to test and evolve the design on one aspect of a system without affecting the other aspects.Slide5
How should prototypes as filters be made?
“The most efficient prototype is the most incomplete one that still filters the qualities of interest to the designer.”
The incompleteness of a prototype serves as a strength because it let’s us test aspects of our final product without actually
building
the final product.Slide6
Example of Prototype as Filtering
In order to test the Buttons on the phone out, a prototype with actual buttons must be developed.
Another prototype to test the GUI out should be developed
separately.
Another prototype should be developed to test the functionality of the phone, and so on.
Each prototype tests different aspects of the final product, but that doesn’t mean each prototype is independent. There is always overlap.
For instance, in order to test how the GUI works, the speed of the functional components of the phone come into play. If the phone is operating slow, the GUI will also move slowly.Slide7
Prototypes as Manifestations of Design Ideas
“designs are constituted through iterated interaction with external design manifestations.”
“
externalization
of thought gives rise to new perceptual and cognitive operations that allow for reflection, critique, and iteration.”Slide8
Example of externalization of design ideas.
Notice how the artist develops multiple images to figure out which he likes best.
This same idea applies to software engineering and prototyping.Slide9
Prototypes as Manifestations of Design Ideas
These manifestations can take almost any form based on time, cost, and material.
In the field of computing, these manifestations are especially interesting because the design idea’s are manifested on a computer.
That is, the material they are manifested on is a material with no limits.Slide10
Anatomy of Prototypes
Fundamental Prototyping Principle:
“The purpose of designing a prototype is to find the manifestation that, in it’s simplest form, will filter the qualities in which the designer is interested without distorting the understanding of the whole.”Slide11
Anatomy of Prototypes
Filtering Dimensions
Appearance Dimension
Data Dimension
Functionality Dimension
Interactivity Dimension
Structure Dimension
Manifestation Dimensions
Materials by which the prototype is manifested
Level of fidelity of the prototype
Completeness of the prototypeSlide12
Real World Example
2d Image
3d ImageSlide13
Reference(s)
The Anatomy of Prototypes: Prototypes as Filters, Prototypes as Manifestations of Design Ideas. By
Youn
-Kyung, Erik
Stolterman
, and Josh
Tenenberg
. ACM Transactions, July 2008Slide14
Questions?