Will my Prototype work at first attempt?
Elsa Schlaudraff
Rare and unique decor pieces from all over the world - each telling a story of it′s long journeyings.
When you’re in the process of designing a new product, you go through several stages of events. You have to come up with a 3D design, animate it, come up with a business plan for it, etc. After all of that, you then have to design. a. prototype. That in itself can be stressful, but there’s one ultimate question that plagues every designer’s mind; will the prototype work at the first attempt? By the time the product development has got to this stage, stakeholders are getting impatient to see and hold the real thing - the pressure is on.
Preparing for your first prototype
The first prototype should be embarrasing. Never perfect.
Do your research on the product you want to design:
Research is what is going to prepare you to have a successful prototype launch. You want to ensure you know exactly what you want your prototype to do, the size of it, the material it’ll be made of, etc. Additionally, you want to know how your product is going to be expected to perform when you do test it out. What do potential investors want to see your product do? Of course, they want it to work, but think beyond that.
Know your budget:
Keep in mind the parameters of your budget when designing your prototype for testing. You’re going to need enough funds to make a prototype that will work at the first attempt. Your design for your prototype should be firm but allow some wiggle room.
Know what your investors want to see from your prototype:
If the people you’re showing your prototype to are looking at the design in comparison to what the product does, focus on that. If you’re creating something totally new and they want to see it work more than they care about what it looks like, make that the priority! Make sure your team of prototype builders know exactly what is expected of them to make these pieces happen.
These are your top 3 things to keep in mind. Research. Budget. Performance.
What to do if your prototype doesn’t work the first time
First of all, your first trial of your prototype should never, under any circumstances, be in front of your investors/company. Your first trial should be in the comfort of your design team so that you can troubleshoot if something goes wrong. Plus, nobody wants to gather to see something that doesn’t work.
Beyond that, if your prototype fails, there is a sequence of events that should immediately take place.
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These things happen. Mistakes will be made. Prootyptes may not work the first itme through, but that’s why you make prototypes, to remove the kinks!
?What’s the difference between proof of concept and a prototype?
These two terms are often confused with one another, and it makes sense as to why. They’re actually rather similar, but there’s one major difference.
P.O.C (proof of concept): P.O.C is the process of proving to a client or investor that the concept of your product, design, device, etc. is feasible. The feasibility is determined by a few different factors including:
P.O.C’s are often determined on paper through data consumption. However, sometimes a model will be developed but it will not be a working model.
Prototype: A prototype is the step that follows a P.O.C after it has been proven to be a feasible and worthwhile project to take on. The prototype is an actual working model that can be tested in the real world. It can also be a to-scale digital mockup if you’re designing something like a house or large building. The purpose is to convince investors that your product/project is worth investing in and worth the undertaking.
?Final Thoughts:
So, basically, your prototype may or may not work. It just depends on your development. However, if it doesn’t work the first time through, that’s exactly why you made the prototype! Now you know and now you can fix it! Don’t stress and just try again.
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