Answers the following questions:
What is prototyping?
What are the different types of prototypes?
What is it used for?
How do you prototype for usability testing?
1. Introduction to
Prototyping
UX Meetup
September 1, 2011
Alexis Antonelli, User Experience Consultant
2. What is a prototype?
A scenario-based simulation that allows a person
to experience chosen aspects of a potential
product.
“Prototypes don’t have to be clever or sophisticated, so
long as you can be when you present or test them.”
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3. Why prototype?
Because the only constant is change
The earlier in the process you make
changes, the better
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4. What’s the difference between sketches,
wireframes, and prototypes?
Paper isn’t necessarily a wireframe and
clickable screens aren’t necessarily a prototype
It’s about process and purpose
It helps to use verbs:
Sketching or Wireframing: brainstorming,
ideating, mocking up, laying out, documenting
Prototyping: Modeling, simulating, demonstrating,
evaluating, testing
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5. Continuum
Paper Based Screen Based
Sketch or Wireframe Clickable Wireframe
Paper Prototype Interactive Prototype
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6. What about fidelity?
fi·del·i·ty (Noun):
The degree of resemblance to the final product.
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9. Uses for prototyping
Put requirements into a visual language
Interaction modeling
Demo an upcoming or potential product
Usability testing
Internal or client review
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10. The prototyping process
Start with a purpose and goal for the prototype
and write it down, stay on target. Are you
testing, communicating, demonstrating, etc?
Who is the audience?
Sketch or wireframe before you build
Choose scenarios
Choose fidelities
Build
Don’t go overboard, more is not more
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11. Prototyping for Usability Testing
May or may not have a prototype to start with
Set test goals, plan, scenarios, participants, etc.
If built, expect to have to adjust for testing
(Choose fidelities, build)
Tell participants up front that it is a prototype
If participants go somewhere not built, remind
them it’s a prototype and gather data
11 Introduction to Prototyping | UX Meetup 9/01/11
12. Who should prototype?
Speed
Resources
What needs to be prototyped
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13. Thank you!
Alexis Antonelli
User Experience Consultant
uxconsultant.com
aa@uxconsultant.com
Axure RP 6 Training
September 24 in LA
uxconsultant.com/AxureTraining.html
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14. References
Prototyping: A Practitioner's Guide
Todd Zaki Warfel, 2009
Paper Prototyping: The Fast and Easy Way to Design and Refine User Experience
Carolyn Snyder, 2003
Breaking the Fidelity Barrier: An Examination of Our Current Characterization of
Prototypes and an Example of Mixed Fidelity Success
CHI 2006 Proceedings
McCurdy, Connors, Pyrzak, Kanefsky, Vera, 2006
Usability Problem Identification Using Both Low and High Fidelity Prototypes
Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Virzi, Sokolov, Karis, 1996
Introduction to Prototyping, Scottish UPA
http://www.slideshare.net/neil00allison/introduction-to-prototyping-scottish-upa-
june-2011
Neil Allison, 2011
Managing Change with Axure (AA RT 1.2)
http://www.axureworld.org/library/category/axureworld-2010
Dhawal Shah, 2010
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