Everything You Need to Know About Software Prototyping

Imagine you’re in the
process of developing a new app. It’s a complicated project and it will take a long time
and workload to finish it. You’re excited; this app will be downloaded by thousands of
people.

Finally, after months of
intensified work of designers, developers, and UX experts, the app is finished. In your opinion, the final product
is great. There are some issues, but who cares? No application is perfect.

After going to the market,
the product that you’ve worked so hard on receives harsh criticism. Users hate it and they
don’t hesitate to express their dissatisfaction. You have to rebuild the
app.

And you could avoid all of
that by using software prototyping.

What is software prototyping?

The process of software
prototyping consists of the development of limited functionality versions of a digital
product. During this process, developers and designers build an approximation of the final
product to test out specific features and get feedback before releasing it to the general
public.

Software prototyping is the
penultimate stage in design thinking which is a methodology that allows the developers to
solve complicated issues and propose reliable solutions. The role of the prototype in
design thinking is to serve as a draft preceding the development of the original
product. Having acquired this draft, developers can proceed to the last stage:
prototype verification.

Why is prototyping important?

You may think that your
project is flawless, and there’s no need to change a thing. Even with this level of
confidence, it is still important to put it to the test, and prototyping can facilitate
this process. Why so?

First of all, it gives the
client an idea of what the final product may look like. As previously stated, a prototype
is an approximation of the final product but even this unfinished version can
significantly improve the development process.

For the clients, the
prototype is like a promise of the final product; they don’t have to buy a pig in the
poke. Prototype makes it easier to comprehend the idea, even if the concept is complicated
and hard to understand.

Moreover, already at the
design stage, software prototyping allows you to get rid of unnecessary functions and
leave only the important ones.

What are the advantages of prototyping?

It reduces risk

If you want to avoid the
scenario from the beginning of the article and reduce the risk of failure to a bare
minimum, consider implementing software prototyping. It not only provides you with
valuable feedback but also allows you to focus on the most important aspects.

It allows detecting errors earlier

Software prototyping makes an
earlier detection of errors in the product concept possible. Thanks to it, problematic
issues can be solved quickly and efficiently. Detected and eliminated in the process of
prototyping, errors won’t disrupt the development of the complete version. It also reduces
the time and cost of implementing changes in the final product.

It improves and increases client’s involvement

Software prototyping allows
the client to take part in creating the system. This kind of cooperation can be beneficial
for both parties; clients can share their opinions and critiques, and the dev team is
fully aware of clients’ requirements and insights.

What are the alternatives to prototyping?

Prototyping is not the only
available option to evaluate the potential of the product before its release.

Proof of Concept

One of the interesting
alternatives to prototyping is the Proof of Concept. The PoC is a realisation of a method
to demonstrate its feasibility or verification of the practical potential of the concept.
The PoC is proof that it’s possible to develop the product.

Thanks to the PoC you can
verify if your idea is really worth implementing, and consequently save your money if the
concept turns out to be unnecessary. The biggest difference between the PoC and
prototyping is that the first one shows that a product or feature can be developed, while
the second shows how it can be done.

Minimum Viable Product

Another interesting option
is a minimum viable product. The MVP is the first instance of the product; it has
increased production readiness and includes just enough features to satisfy early
customers and provide feedback for future development.

Think of MVP as a process
that allows developers to test, optimise, and provide proper solutions. Does it sound
really similar to the definition of prototyping? Rightfully so, as MVP is a prototype at
its heart, but it’s further developed. The MVP feels more like a product, whereas the
prototype resembles a draft.

Conclusion

Prototyping can be extremely
useful in the process of product development, as it is an approximation of the final
product and it enables the verification of ideas and initial concepts.

Although it’s not the only
available option that can improve the process of product development, it’s definitely
worth checking out.