Prototyping
Created by: Amanda Quintanar
October 9, 2001
OP 380
Dr. Tom Foster
Boise State University
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What will be covered:
• What is Prototyping?
• How can Prototyping be used in business?
• The nuts and bolts of Prototyping
• How Prototyping works
• An example of how Prototyping is utilized in business
• Summary
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An Exercise
Slide 1 of 3
• Close your eyes.
• Imagine a vehicle with four doors
• Imagine the road you are driving on
• Imagine the music playing on the radio
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An Exercise
Slide 2 of 3
• Of course everyone one of us imagined a different vehicle
• Everyone of us imagined different scenery
• Everyone imagined different music playing
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An Exercise
Slide 3 of 3
• Prototyping can help everyone visualize the same end result.
• There is no ambiguity
• Everyone is on the same page
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What is Prototyping?
Slide 1 of 3
• A prototype, according to Webster’s dictionary, is “an original model after which other similar things are patterned.”
• This definition is “an iterative approach to design in which a series of product mock-ups are developed until the customer and designer agree on the final design.”
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What is Prototyping?
Slide 2 of 3
• There are several types of
Prototyping
• (i.e. Rapid Prototyping, Basic
Prototyping, CAD,Paper
Prototype)
• Different industries use different techniques
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What is Prototyping?
Slide 3 of 3
• Utilized by virtually every business
• Tool to help businesses stay on top of the competition in terms of new products
• Aids companies in developing quality products by allowing the prototype to be but through rigorous testing before production on the product take s place to ensure that it is durable and reliable
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How can Prototyping be used in business?
Slide 1 of 3
• Virtually every business uses
Prototyping
• A wide range of business use prototypes from airplane manufacturers to toy producers to computer system developers
• Prototypes are one of the most useful and cost-effective quality tools businesses have
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How can Prototyping be used in business?
Slide 2 of 3
• Prototypes can be a source of creativity
• Prototypes allow the user to interact with the product so the developer can receive feedback.
• Prototyping is not limited to product development.
• Can also be used as process development.
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How can Prototyping be used in business?
Slide 3 of 3
• Every department can use prototypes to help them excel
• For example, marketing departments use prototyping to determine why consumers buy products.
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Benefits of prototyping
Slide 1 of 1
• Allows all departments to be on the same page
• A model allows them to see, touch, and handle the product
• Clarifies communication
• Effective project management tool
• Handy at design reviews
G Thomas Clay. “Rapid prototyping accelerates the design process.”
Machine Design, Cleveland; Mar 9, 2000; Vol. 72, Iss. 5; pg. 166, 4 pgs
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Slide 1 of 4
1. Planning and goal setting
2. The design process
3. Prototype construction
4. Analyzing the concept
5. Prototype rollout
6. Evolution of the design
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The nuts and bolts of
Prototyping
Slide 2 of 4
There are 6 basic steps to developing a prototype
1. Planning and goal setting
• Sets the tone for the rest of the process
2. The design process
• Important to pick one distinct prototype technique and stick with it.
3. Prototype construction
• Cost and timelines are very important in this stage
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The nuts and bolts of
Prototyping
Slide 3 of 4
4. Analyzing the concept
• This is primarily measured by focus groups and technology
• Benchmarking
5. Prototype rollout
• Always have a backup plan
• Changes can be made to design as it becomes apparent which aspects work and which do not
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The nuts and bolts of
Prototyping
Slide 4 of 4
6. Evolution of the design
• Communication is essential in this final stage.
• Feedback should be given on the prototype and suggestions on how to improve
Anonymous. “Prototypes: From concept to rollout.” Chain Store
Age, New York; May 1999; Vol. 75, Iss. 5; pg. 199, 1 pgs.
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How Prototyping works
• Several types of Prototypes
• Depending on the industry/product different techniques are used
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How Prototyping works
Basic Prototype
• “Nonworking mockup of the product that can be reviewed by customers prior to acceptance.”
• Sometimes these basic prototypes are used at trade shows
• For example, the auto industry refers to them as concept cars.
Foster, Dr. Thomas. Managing Quality: An integrative Approach. New 18
Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2001.

How Prototyping works
Paper Prototypes
• Series of drawings that are created by the developers that are used to obtain the acceptance by decision makers.
• For example, sticky notes are used when designing Graphical User
Interfaces so users can see the proposal
Foster, Dr. Thomas. Managing Quality: An integrative Approach. New
19
Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2001.

How Prototyping works
Rapid Prototyping
• Rapid Prototyping is used to accelerate the design process
• Leads to high quality, defect free products and reduces risk
• This technique has proven essential to market leaders such as Microsoft, Intel and Cisco
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How Prototyping works
CAD System and Multi-user CAD
• CAD-computer aided design
• Can be used to design anything
• Improve ability of designers
• Simplify process of prototyping
• Reengineered the innovation of global manufacturers
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An Example of how Prototyping is utilized in business :
Microsoft and Internet Explorer 3.0
Slide 1 of 3
• Behind in the development of an internet browser
• Started development November 1,
1995
• Made the project a “company –wide emergency”
• Needed architecture that allowed parallel development in order to reach target date
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An Example of how Prototyping is utilized in business :
Microsoft and Internet Explorer 3.0
Slide 2 of 3
• March 1996-Feedback was received with only 30% of system was complete
• April 1996-Beta version was dispersed to general public
• Customers could give input on the product
• Integration of new features continued through final weeks
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An Example of how Prototyping is utilized in business :
Microsoft and Internet Explorer 3.0
Slide 3 of 3
• Successful because of the techniques used developing the software and “componentizing the product”
• Obviously, Microsoft was very successful with this product
• Able to maintain quality standards
Alan MacCormack. “Product-development practices that work: How
Internet companies build software.” MIT Sloan Management
Review, Cambridge; Winter 2001; Vol. 42, Iss. 2; pg. 75, 10 pgs
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Summary
Slide 1 of 1
• Prototyping allows all departments and key personnel to see the same vision
• There are many different techniques to use
• Six basic steps for whatever the technique may be
• Great quality tool to utilize
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Bibliography
Slide 1 of 2
Brian Wansink. “New techniques to generate key marketing insights.”
Marketing Research, Chicago; Summer 2000; Vol. 12, Iss. 2; pg.
28, 9 pgs
Charmaine Jones. “Perfecting the prototype.” Appliance Manufacturer,
Troy; Aug 2001; Vol. 49, Iss. 8; pg. 49, 2 pgs
Donna Mitchell. “Virtual prototyping.” Printed Circuit Design, San
Francisco; Dec 2000; Vol. 17, Iss. 12; pg. 26, 3 pgs
Jim Holt. “Prototype power.” Management Review, New York; Jan 2000;
Vol. 89, Iss. 1; pg. 14, 1 pgs
Tom Mueller. “ Rapid prototyping = risk reduction.” Molding Systems,
Dearborn; Apr 1999; Vol. 57, Iss. 4; pg. 40, 7 pgs
Bill Schweber “Prototyping tools transform design dreams into reality.”
EDN, Boston; May 13, 1999; Vol. 44, Iss. 10; pg. 75, 6 pgs
Alan MacCormack. “Product-development practices that work: How
Internet companies build software.” MIT Sloan Management
Review, Cambridge; Winter 2001; Vol. 42, Iss. 2; pg. 75, 10 pgs
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Bibliography
Slide 2 of 2
Wilhelm Hasselbring “Programming languages and systems for prototyping concurrent applications.” ACM Computing Surveys,
Baltimore; Mar 2000; Vol. 32, Iss. 1; pg. 43, 37 pgs
Tom Kelley “Prototyping is the shorthand of innovation.”Design
Management Journal, Boston; Summer 2001; Vol. 12, Iss. 3; pg.
35, 8 pgs
Michael Schrage. “How prototypes can change your business.” Across
the Board, New York; Jan 2000; Vol. 37, Iss. 1; pg. 43, 5 pgs
Anonymous. “Prototypical solutions.”; Chain Store Age, New York; Jul
2001; Vol. 77, Iss. 7; pg. 96, 2 pgs
G Thomas Clay. “Rapid prototyping accelerates the design process.”
Machine Design, Cleveland; Mar 9, 2000; Vol. 72, Iss. 5; pg. 166, 4 pgs
Anonymous. “Prototypes: From concept to rollout.” Chain Store Age,
New York; May 1999; Vol. 75, Iss. 5; pg. 199, 1 pgs.
Foster, Dr. Thomas.Managing Quality: An integrative Approach. New
Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2001.
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