Services > Rapid Prototyping

Key benefits of rapid prototyping

• Clients would much rather interact directly with a visual program mockup
• This process is more flexible and allows for iterations to be made more simply
• There is little room for functional error, as the model is clear and understandable
• CSS classes and HTML design is all defined & accounted for before any development
• As opposed to a long technical spec, much of the actual Wire Frame files are used in development, so very little time and effort is wasted

Why not just design the traditional way?

The challenge faced by all of our clients is knowing exactly what the finished product will look like. As with all new creative projects, getting an idea to become a reality is not as simple as just sending a list of instructions and sitting back while the designers get to work. Conceptual work is very difficult as it’s establishing the very basics of the project. Gathering and delivering the initial requirements in an understandable way is the hardest part of any project. As Frederick Brooks says in his book The Mythical Man-Month, “No other part of the work so cripples the resulting system if done wrong. No other part is more difficult to rectify later.”

It is therefore necessary to remove the liability of executing on misaligned objectives from the beginning. The proven best way to do this is to have an iterative process to refine the design and functional requirements. What better way to do this than visually. Words and spreadsheets can never trump a visual page-by-page prototype of the website or web application. The truth is it’s very difficult for the client and the designer to know what they want initially. Unless guided by an experienced web designer the client may not even know which questions to ask. The dynamics of a modern complex website are impossible to imagine and describe in enough detail that they will be perfectly executed by the designer. That has urged the best designers to use iterative techniques like rapid prototyping.

Of all recent web design efforts, rapid prototyping stands out as being a method that deals with the cause and not the symptoms of poor design. It is a pro-active process that eliminates problems before they are too ingrained to do anything about.

What does the prototype do for me?

The prototype allows the client and the designer to develop a model that is not constrained by cost, time or technical considerations. The intention of building a prototype is to turn the conceptual idea into a real website or web application before a single line of code is written. No application functionality or database development is required to develop a prototype. This fast paced process provides all parties involved with a visual specification to test their assumptions and opinions.

Most of the traditional design processes rest on the assumption that by defining the system, gathering bids, starting construction and deploying the site is all it takes. This is dangerously incorrect and leads to missed deadlines, budget overruns and a disappointed client. Rapid prototyping avoids these problems by getting everyone on the same page early on in the process and keeping them focused all the way to delivery.

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