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PROTOTYPING3.3.1

THIS PRESENTATION COVERS

• WHAT IS PROTOTYPING?

• TYPES OF PROTOTYPING:

• EVOLUTIONARY

• THROW-AWAY

• GOOD AND BAD POINTS TO PROTOTYPING

INTRODUCTION

• FOR THE MOST PART, THE SYSTEM LIFE CYCLE DOES ALLOW NEW SYSTEMS TO BE CREATED WHICH MEET THE NEEDS OF THE USER.

• HOWEVER, THE TIME IT TAKES TO CREATE A SYSTEM USING THE SYSTEM LIFECYCLE MODEL CAN BE CONSIDERABLY LONGER COMPARED TO SOME OTHER METHODS (SUCH AS PROTOTYPING AND RAD).

• BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM, THE SYSTEM LIFE CYCLE CAN SOMETIMES PRODUCE A NEW SYSTEM WHICH NO LONGER MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE CUSTOMER.

PROTOTYPING

• PROTOTYPE DESIGNS OFTEN CONTAIN SOME ELEMENTS OF THE FINAL PRODUCT.

• THE FIRST PROTOTYPE MIGHT INCLUDE SOME OF THE BASIC FUNCTIONS OF THE SYSTEM:

• SIMPLE INPUTS

• SOME DATA PROCESSING

• SOME EXAMPLE OUTPUTS

PROTOTYPING

• A PROTOTYPE MIGHT BE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TO THE FINAL PRODUCT BUT IT DOES ALLOW END-USERS TO TEST THE SYSTEM AS IT IS BEING BUILT AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK.

• PROTOTYPING ALLOWS THE DESIGNER TO CONFIRM THAT THEY HAVE INTERPRETED THE END-USER’S REQUIREMENTS CORRECTLY AS THEY GO ALONG.

• THERE CAN BE MANY WAYS TO DESCRIBE THE SAME THING WHICH MEANS THAT THE INTERPRETATION OF A DESCRIPTION CAN ALSO BE DIFFERENT.

• PROTOTYPING IS POPULAR BECAUSE THE DESIGNER AND THE END-USER WORK MORE CLOSELY TOGETHER WHEN BUILDING A SYSTEM THUS ALLOWING THEM TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE MAKING THE SAME INTERPRETATIONS.

METHODS OF PROTOTYPING

• THERE ARE TWO METHODS OF PROTOTYPING YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF:

• EVOLUTIONARY

• THROW-AWAY

EVOLUTIONARY PROTOTYPING

• THIS IS WHERE ONE PROTOTYPE IS CREATED AND EVALUATED BY THE END-USER.

• THE SECOND PROTOTYPE IS CREATED BASED ON THE FEEDBACK FROM THE FIRST PROTOTYPE.

• THE PROTOTYPES KEEP EVOLVING UNTIL A FINAL PRODUCT SOLUTION IS AGREED UPON.

THROW-AWAY PROTOTYPING

• EARLY PROTOTYPES OF PARTS OF THE SYSTEM ARE CREATED.

• THE PROTOTYPES ARE THEN EVALUATED BY THE END USER AND THE FEEDBACK RECEIVED.

• THE PROTOTYPES ARE THEN THROWN AWAY.

• THIS ALLOWS DESIGNERS TO QUICKLY GET FEEDBACK FROM END-USERS TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE RIGHT INTERPRETATION OF THE USER REQUIREMENTS.

• MAKING CHANGES EARLY ON IN A PROJECT IS MORE COST EFFECTIVE AS LESS TIME IS WASTED IN THE LONG RUN.

BENEFITS OF PROTOTYPING

• REDUCED TIME AND COSTS

• IF CHANGES ARE MADE EARLY ON IN THE PROJECT LESS TIME IS WASTED CREATED A MORE DEVELOPED PRODUCT AND THEN HAVING TO CHANGE IT AND DEVELOP IT BACK UP AGAIN.

BENEFITS OF PROTOTYPING

• IMPROVED AND INCREASED USER INVOLVEMENT

• IF END-USERS ARE INVOLVED IN THE DESIGN AND CREATION STAGES OF A PROJECT THE DESIGNERS END UP KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT THE END-USER WANTS OUT OF THE SYSTEM.

• THIS AVOIDS POSSIBLE CONFUSION LATER ON IN THE PROJECT AND ALSO HELPS THE DESIGNER CREATE THE PRODUCT.

• ALSO, BEING IN CONTACT WITH THE CUSTOMER/END-USERS ALLOWS THE PROJECT TO RUN MORE SMOOTHLY AND HOPEFULLY ON TIME.

PROBLEMS WITH PROTOTYPING

• CONFUSION BETWEEN PROTOTYPES AND END PRODUCTS

• END USERS MIGHT THINK THAT A PROJECT IS RUNNING AHEAD OF SCHEDULE WHEN THEY ARE SHOWN A PROTOTYPE.

• A PROTOTYPE CAN BE CREATED IN A DAY BUT CODING ALL THE FUNCTIONS COULD TAKE WEEKS/MONTHS!

• END-USERS MIGHT ALSO LIKE FEATURES IN A PROTOTYPE WHICH WERE ACTUALLY USED FOR EVALUATIVE PURPOSES. WHEN THEY ARE THROWN AWAY THEY MIGHT THINK THEY ARE GETTING LESS OF A PRODUCT!

PROBLEMS WITH PROTOTYPING

• EXCESSIVE DEVELOPMENT TIME OF THE PROTOTYPE

• DESIGNERS SOMETIMES RUN THE RISK OF ADDING TOO MUCH TO A PROTOTYPE. PROTOTYPING IS MEANT TO BE FAST BUT SOMETIMES A DESIGNER MIGHT SPEND TOO MUCH TIME IN THE PROTOTYPE STAGE PERFECTING LITTLE BITS HERE AND THERE. THIS INCREASES COSTS AND DEVELOPMENT TIME.

• IF A REQUIREMENTS ARE VERY CLEAR THEN PROTOTYPING MAY NOT BE NECESSARY. LIKEWISE, IF THE PRODUCT IS A STANDARD DESIGN THEN PROTOTYPING MAY ALSO NOT BE NECESSARY.