An analysis of early stage prototypes using implementation, look and feel, and role

Abstract

Identifying the purpose of a prototype is central to making informed decisions about the kind of prototype to build. Houde and Hill (1997) propose a model for classifying prototypes according to their purpose and the design questions they answer. Since this model was created for user interaction design, it has never been applied to physical prototypes on a large scale or to a progression of prototypes through the product development cycle. Ten physical prototypes from an MIT mechanical engineering senior capstone design course are evaluated according to the Houde and Hill (1997) model. With only a few challenges, the model is found to be applicable to physical prototypes, providing insight into the nature of physical prototyping, the product development cycle, and MIT's senior design course. In the process, a notional relationship between the progression of the product development cycle and the number of design questions answered is proposed.