McElroy K. Prototyping for Physical and Digital Products

O’Reilly Media, 2016. — 54 p.Prototyping and user testing is the best way to create successful products, but many designers skip this important step and use gut instinct instead. By explaining the goals behind prototyping — and demonstrating how to prototype for both physical and digital products — this O’Reilly report helps to begin and intermediate designers become more comfortable with creating and testing prototypes early and often in the process.Prototyping is a necessary skill in all areas of design, especially for startups, entrepreneurs, in-house designers, and freelancers. Author Kathryn McElroy explains various prototyping methods, from fast and dirty to high fidelity and refined, and reveals ways to test your prototypes with users. You’ll gain valuable insights for improving your product, whether it’s a smartphone app or a new electronic gadget.Prototyping for Physical and Digital Products.
What Is a Prototype?
Architecture.
Industrial Design.
Personal Electronics.
Software and Apps.
Why Do We Prototype?
To Understand.
To Test and Improve.
To Communicate.
To Advocate.
Benefits of Prototyping.
How Is Prototyping for Physical and Digital Products Similar?
Goals.
Fidelity Levels.
Low Fidelity.
Mid Fidelity.
High Fidelity.
Prototypes for Physical Products.
Materials and Tactility.
Electronics.
Low-Fidelity Prototypes.
Mid to High Fidelity.
Prototypes for Digital Products.
User Flow.
Responsive Design.
Designing for All Interaction Types.
Low-Fidelity Prototypes.
Paper Prototype.
Clickable Prototype.
Coded Prototype.
High-Fidelity Prototype.
User Testing with Prototypes.
The Assumptions and Goals.
The Questions.
The Tasks.
A Sample Research Plan.
Conducting the Research.
Finding Insights.