In my very first post, I defined a prototype as "a basic, physical model or representation of an idea. It can range from simple shape to a full-scale working model."
While this definition is correct, it is extremely limiting! It definitely did not prepare me for the course as it narrowed my scope and understanding. As Digital Prototyping has progressed, my views and understanding of the work that goes into developing products has deepened and I appreciate the process of prototyping far more. I enjoyed the iterative nature of the course and felt that it taught me a lot about what to look at when developing a product, how to approach testing and improvements, and about development and design in general.
This course has been both rewarding and taxing, with my initial video prototype concept not fully meeting the criteria for an interactive wearable technology, but I was determined to learn from the feedback and enjoyed the different approaches to prototyping, especially exploring physical prototypes with the Makey Makey.
If you asked me what a prototype is today, I would define it as follows:
A prototype is a physical representation used to measure the feasibility of a design feature being included in a product or program.
Prototyping is a rich process whereby specific interactivity, physical features, product feasibility, and many other aspects can be tested on their own or combined. The process is rewarding and leads to design iterations and improvements to the design of a product. Prototyping can prove costly if you attempt to prototype the full product, but if undertaken iteratively and planned well, can save costs of the overall project in the long run by testing smaller components or ideas separately to ensure 'parts of the whole' work before finalising the 'whole' and having to make many adjustments and changes that will be expensive and more time consuming.
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