5 Tips for Successful Software Prototyping

This means that the user interface elements that will represent the prototype (e.g., buttons, labels, tables, messages) must be approached systematically.

For example, in the case of buttons, it is important to create specific variations of them for different views. How is that done? Let us say that your goal is to get the user to click on a specific element on the landing page – to achieve that, a big bold button will be placed on the landing page.

But in other views, where you will need to use more buttons, you will need to use the same button you used on the landing page, but in a smaller format. Sometimes, you may also need a third view (e.g., of a table) with a lot of buttons – there, you will need and even smaller version of that same button.

Right in the beginning of the project, you should determine how many different sizes of buttons are needed for the project and then systemise them. It is also useful to try and create as many reusable elements in the project as possible.

By keeping the design and development going at the same pace from the start, it will be much easier to write code later on. Additionally, by doing this, the end result is much more likely to meet the client’s expectations and match the initial design of the solution.

Once the project has passed the paper prototyping phase (e.g., a wireframe or software prototype is now being created), then the prototypes should be inspected from actual devices. As soon as you know which devices the final solution will be used on, you should inform the project team as that helps us to better fulfil the expectations for that specific device.

For example, if the end users will be using the solution on their smartphones, then we recommend conducting usability testing on smartphones, and if the design is meant to be implement on a tablet, then it should be tested on that.

This will help create the best feel for the solution and to avoid unpleasant surprises down the line. For example, designs will look very different dependent on whether they are displayed on a big screen or a smartphone – the resolutions may not match, which would mean that the whole view may not even fit on a smaller screen. It is also important to test the solution in the environment it is meant to be used in (e.g., indoors or outdoors).

Prototyping is one step on the road to delivering the product to the end users and the prototype does not have to be perfect in all aspects. The prototype is not a separate goal but a tool for faster and easier development.

That's why we recommend thinking about priorities - which parts are most business-critical in your product? This part could be the most elaborate in the prototype, i.e., the business-critical elements must be designed in detail and as close as possible to the final product.

Always involve end users by showing them the prototype. Even if it seems like the prototype does not fully look like the final product, you should not be afraid of doing so.

When testing a low-fidelity prototype, the focus is not on getting it approved, but on whether end users would use it the way that we, the system’s creators, would want them to use it or whether they understand it as it is meant to be understood.

The following is a brief overview of the kinds of tools we at Trinidad Wiseman use and their pros and cons:

To sum up the above, if the client asks for something interactive, we use Axure, but since we also need to create a UI design for the solution, then we also use Figma or Sketch. For projects where the prototype does not have to be very interactive (e.g., an online shop or an informational website), we only use Figma or Sketch.