A prototype is a representation of a digital system (website, app) and is intended primarily to demonstrate functionality, features, types of content, and user flow without explicitly specifying the visual design or the copy for the system. A prototype focuses on the kinds of information displayed, the range of functions available, the relative priorities of the information and functions, the rules for displaying certain kinds of information, and the paths between screens.
Example
This example (blurred for privacy) is from a prototype I created and continually iterated on for the Vertex application, a platform that enables collaboration and remote sharing of complex, data-intensive 3D models. I developed this interactive prototype in Axure RP, and it allows PMs, SMEs, development teams, and other stakeholders to navigate around the system, change states, perform certain tasks, and get a solid understanding of how a feature will work before it gets developed. This prototype utilizes existing visual design specifications and also provides system requirements in-context to the design as well as the ability for team members to comment on individual components or page areas.
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Example
This example is from a prototype I created for the Passport Application System display that allowed users to walk through the screen flow and also view simulated state changes in the system. For example, if a user switched the operating mode of the system, the runtime page changed to reflect that mode’s interface.
Prototyping
