What is a Prototype? What are the Roles of Prototypes in Companies?

Abstract

Prototyping is an essential part of product development in companies, and yet it is one of the least explored areas of design practice. There are limited ethnographic studies conducted within companies, specifically around the topic of prototyping. This is an empirical and industrial-based study using inductive ethnographic observations to further our understanding of the various roles prototypes play in organizations. This research observed the entire product development cycle within three companies in the fields of consumer electronics (CE), footwear (FW), and medical devices (MD). Our guiding research questions are: What is a prototype? What are the roles of prototypes across these three companies? Through our analysis, we uncovered that prototypes are tools for enhanced communication, increased learning, and informed decision-making. Specifically, we further refine these categories to display the types of communication, learning, and decision-making that occur. These insights are significant because they validate many prior prototyping theories and claims, while also adding new perspectives through further exploiting each role. Finally, we provide newly modified definitions of a prototype and prototyping based on this empirical work, which we hope expands designers' mental models for the terms.

A Comparison of Contemporary Prototyping Methods

“…In this vein, a prototype is often considered as a means to answer a question, such as proving an application of a technology, or clearly communicating some key functionality of a design, frequently referred to as "proof of concept" (Ullman, 2010). This work's definition of a prototype is aligned with Lauff et al (2018), Lidwell et al (2003) and galvanised by Houde and Hill's earlier definition. It is asserted that a prototype is an external artefact which embodies certain, or all, features of an intended design.…”

“…Prototyping helps communicate ideas (Buchenau and Suri, 2000). This is achieved by synchronising the mental model individuals have of a concept, ether passively acting as a representation or actively by providing a mechanism for discussion, these faculties in turn allow the concept to be explained, allow others to provide focused feedback on the specifics of a design and these two combined allow for meaningful negotiations to be conducted about the prototype, product or idea, (Lauff et al, 2018). This communication between team members does not only apply to designers it may apply to managers, clients and other stakeholders (Gerber and Carroll, 2012).…”

“…While feedback it still the heart of good decision making prototyping and prototypes can provide this feedback, (Krishnan and Ulrich, 2001). Prototypes inform decision making, as they provide a combined ability to aid communication (including gaining feedback) and facilitate learning (Lauff et al, 2018). Informed decision making can be the making or breaking of a project, this also applies to the decision of when and how prototyping could be used within a project.…”

“…This also falls into line with both literature (Wang, 2002) and real world practises that suggests they are commonly used as interchangeable terms. Lauff, Kotys-Schwartz and Rentschler (2018) ask the question "what is a prototype?" within the context of the design process, stating "A prototype is a physical or digital embodiment of critical elements of the intended design, and an iterative tool to enhance communication, enable learning, and inform decisionmaking at any point in the design process".…”

Prototyping Canvas: Design Tool for Planning Purposeful Prototypes

“…One must identify assumptions and questions that motivate the need to build and test a prototype. This was based on the following literature: (Lauff, 2018;Lauff et al, 2018a;Houde and Hill, 1997;Rhinow et al, 2012;Lande and Leifer, 2009;Deiniger et al, 2017;Ulrich and Eppinger, 2000;Otto and Wood, 2001). On the canvas, this motivates the creation of three categories: "Stakeholders", "Assumptions and Questions" and "Critical Assumption/Question."…”