HCI – Prototyping

Why Prototype? Prototyping is a well understood and used

technique in design engineering where products are tested via a model prototype

Usually carried out at the early stages of design giving the users and developers time to change things prototypes can be “throw away” (e.g. scale models)

or will eventually go into commercial use. In software development prototypes can be

paper-based software-based

What is a Prototype

In interaction design it can be any of the following (and more): a series of screen sketches a storyboard, i.e. a cartoon-like series of

scenes a PowerPoint slide show a video simulating the use of a system a lump of wood or a cardboard mock up a piece of software with limited functionality

written in the target language or in another language

What to Prototype?

Work flow, task design, sequence i.e. in the order they happen

Screen layouts and information display i.e. icons, home buttons , back buttons, colours etc

Difficult, controversial, critical areas i.e. Undo button, help, exit, stop etc.

Low Fidelity Prototyping

Uses a medium which is unlike the final medium, e.g. paper, cardboard

Is quick, cheap and easily changed

Examples:sketches of screens, task

sequences, etc‘Post-it’ notesstoryboards – covered in next slide

‘Wizard-of-Oz

Storyboards

Often used with scenarios, bringing more detail, and a chance to role play

It is a series of sketches showing how a user might progress through a task using the device

Used early in design

Storyboard Example

High Fidelity Prototyping

Uses materials that you would expect to be in the final product.

For a high-fidelity software prototype common environments include Macromedia, Visual Basic, MS PowerPoint.

Prototype looks more like the final

system than a low-fidelity version.

Aims of Prototyping in Software

The aim of prototyping is to resolve uncertainty about

Functional and user requirements (input/output)

operation sequences – in what order? user support needs – help, undo, back,

home “Look and Feel” of the interface appropriateness of the design – think -

user/task/environment