HOW TO TURN AN APP IDEA INTO A PROTOTYPE AND GET OFF TO A GOOD START

Prototyping is essential for each UX/UI designer, software engineer, and especially each customer who would like a design procedure to be more collaborative, effective, and eventually profitable. To accomplish this, one should guarantee clarity of requirements from the very start. Evidently, the client should have a grasp on what an app or a site will look like, what high quality features they ought to expect, and whether it's sure to match all of the set specifications yet before the full-scale improvement procedure is launched. In such a scenario, prototyping is the perfect solution since prototypes are simulations that lead to attaining goals set and solving problems defined during the design sprints. If in doubt whether your product may require prototyping and what really for, rest assured that such simulations will likely be of advantage both to the customer and the contractor. Thus, we propose figuring out together why it is so and why prototyping is essential.


What is a prototype?

Prototyping, modeling, simulating -- you name it. This process in its character is open to several interpretations. Among other things, prototyping might be addressed as the practical implementation of the findings of a discovery phase in design development. It's essential for prototyping to be implemented in the context of design thinking.

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Design thinking is a problem-solving procedure for submitting and implementing ideas so as to make customers satisfied. And consumer satisfaction is the principal objective of this UX/UI design. Referring to the procedure of design thinking seems quite natural when seeking to explain prototyping for, as we've already articulated in our previous post on improving User Interface with examples , the user-centered layout is the key and what ought to concentrate on it but the layout thinking procedure. In this regard, a prototype is that sample that the client needs so as to assess whether the requirements are fully understood and can be entirely fulfilled. Thus, the growth of a sample of a web site or an application is supposed to result in participation and active engagement of everybody in meaningful experiences. Consequently, addressing an issue of prototyping may lead to productive and rewarding interaction of users with the end product.

Advantages of prototyping

As you might guess (and it's not entirely without the base ), prototypes can sometimes go beyond simply being mock user interfaces. But what are the advantages of prototyping? These benefits are aplenty and they comprise doing the following:

1. Shaping your ideas.

Despite our focus on the creation of software products, we should say that prototyping stands a good chance of improving any creative process, which always begins with the idea. This is where you begin your journey from an idea to a prototype. Bearing in mind that the endpoint of this procedure is a whole new solution, it needs to be taken seriously at each stage. In the stage of ideation, if any, everyone is free to make their suggestions intended to contribute to the creation of a high quality design that simplifies specified issues.

Ideation, or the practice of generating a great deal of thoughts, emphasizes quantity rather than quality. Yet, because of asking as many appropriate questions as possible, an individual can get clean and easy pre-prototyping ideas formed and accelerate the progress. But, ideation promotes parallel layout and in the case of choosing for the iterative method, can be altered for shaping just one thought at a time.

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2. Communicating ideas to have them fulfill the customer's business objectives.

A prototype doesn't have to be complete. In actuality, it's normal for prototypes to be seriously incomplete. But with a view to creating a single, it's still more than possible to construct a productive dialogue with the customer to achieve a consensus as to how the entire process will be running and if the contractor and the customer are in full accord picturing UX/UI layout of an application or a web site.

3. Inventing the solutions quickly.

The pace of life accelerates, as does the speed with which solutions have to be generated. The fantastic thing is that prototypes are made as fast versions of actual things. Therefore, by way of prototyping within the framework of design thinking that favors somewhat acting than over-thinking, ideas will quickly become solutions. Generation of low-fidelity models is fast and affordable. By using such a means of structuring creative team work, an individual can get everybody involved in developing a proximation of a layout to quickly get opinions. Additionally, it contributes to a quicker process of innovation.

4. Building a bridge between designers and software engineers.

Sure enough, a prototype gives a customer an idea of how an end product will work and, in doing so, it enhances relationships between a client and a contractor. This edge has time and again been highlighted above. Nevertheless, in addition to its being a basic working sample or only a mere simulation, a prototype fulfills the function of a bridge between design and development because it must contain all of the features necessary (the range of wichs always varies) to test an idea. Both software designers and engineers introducing the prototype have to communicate their own comprehension of these features.

5. Making correct estimates.

After the bridge has been built, the approximate dimensions and attributes of a product are specified. However, prototyping allows improving accuracy and eliminating ambiguities in defining the relative effort that will be required and material costs that will be incurred. With prototyping, an individual will have the ability to estimate development costs, timescale and skill/resource demands considerably more exactly testing afterward an idea that's in their heads sifting through levels of the model's fidelity even if a timeframe and a budget are limited.

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6. Reducing uncertainty and risks.

Obtaining the new knowledge that will allow you to avoid wasting your design process and improve chances to succeed should be the principal objective of the invention of the prototypes. This new information may or may not signify that the model is about to be moved to the production phase. In point 4, we've discussed that prototyping allows specifying the needed attributes but they nevertheless contain nothing but a draft. A prototype, if lo-fi or hi-fi, doesn't need to be a fully configured product. This, in turn, reduces risks in comparison to going towards fully functional product development and provides contractors with"a safety net." Besides, when in pursuit of reducing/eliminating uncertainty, prototyping should prove useful given that it is enabled with such steps as design analysis, modeling, empirical testing, and stimulation.

7. Testing usability.

The layout has its greatest impact when it's handed over from designers to everybody else. At this time, it will make sense to come back to the topic of iterative and parallel design procedures. As Steven Dow, a postdoctoral scholar at the HCI Group at Stanford, asserts in his post, a parallel approach contributes to better results. He explains that when team members discuss numerous theories as opposed to sharing their best thoughts, dynamics happen bringing the advantages of faster time-to-market. When multiple alternatives are made in parallel, designers provide more varied solutions. Additionally, it let them prevent attaching themselves too much to one thought and investing in it emotionally. Eventually, they have the ability to provide more critical and candid opinions on it.

However, some folks argue that a excellent layout must follow an iterative procedure for it can help to refine the idea by obtaining opinions on each improved version of a prototype embodying one (and the sole generated) idea.

Wireframes, mockups, and prototypes

Speaking about prototyping, we can't but admit that occasionally, terminology appears to be confusing and this is precisely the case. The conditions wireframes, mockups, and prototypes are quite often used interchangeably. In any case, the first two are sometimes regarded as measures to building a prototype. So, let us make a distinction.

1. Wireframes.

A comprehensive preparation (ideation and data accumulation) is crucial for running a successful design sprint. However, creating wireframes is normally the first practical step after getting through the discovery period in the design procedure. To put it differently, a wireframe can be known as a low-fidelity design design of the product's components.

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Wireframes are drafts of final products presenting the overall scheme of prospective apps and websites. They're utilized to outline the main idea and convey the key concepts. Though wireframes may differ in a level of detail, they need to reflect the basic appearance of the app or website for a customer to grasp the character and to comprehend what he or she's going to pay for. A wireframe doesn't comprise many details. It needs to be organized in such a way to convince a client to continue cooperation and demands a formal style of presentation. As much feedback must be collected, at this stage, as possible in this brief time period as reasonably practicable.

Components wireframes are constructed of: such vital elements of a user interface as the planned placement of switches, taps, icons, and others.

2. Mockups.

People are still at odds over singling out mockups as a distinct type. However, we agree with those who consider them an upgraded version of wireframes and so-called non-clickable prototypes. Taking a look at the mockups, one is very likely to feel both the way the components are being organized and watch them in more detail. If wireframes are schemes, then mockups are static representations of final products. They're already not only blueprints but the final looks of the applications and sites.

Components mockups are constructed of: graphics on the side, icon kinds, colors, intervals, gaps, trademarks, language, button titles, fonts (their sizes and forms ), a frequent theme, etc..

3. Clickable prototypes.

These aren't static pictures anymore. Clickable prototypes are interactive high-fidelity versions that reveal particular results based on what actions are taken. They ought to be very close to actual applications or websites representing actual information, animations and all as well as revealing how users may interact with the product. Given clickable prototypes, it's much easier to specify what to do to maximize the user experience. That's the reason the quality of consumer research matters a whole lot at this stage.

Components prototypes are constructed of: different interactive components which are combined to form a visual hierarchy and data architecture.

Conclusion

If you will need a clear comprehension of what's what, it's UX/UI prototypes that will provide you enough of the appearance and function of the end product. Prototyping allows elaborating and testing an idea or thoughts before putting energies into a full-scale development procedure.

Whether or not you're inclined to have it iterative or parallel, create a wireframe first or begin with a clickable prototype, these options will lead to a more logical sequence of ideas and actions. Subsequently, the process of product development will be more efficient. Thus, temper your doubts and get to prototyping for the sake of great future user interfaces and adventures!

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