Prototyping, especially for larger, more complex projects, offers a great opportunity to solve problems before web development begins.
Prototypes are functional, interactive explanations of a website or web application. Wireframes provide a lower-cost, time-saving way to present design ideas and complex business rules. Feedback from stakeholders or potential investors early in a project lifecycle, before web development has many advantages.
Prototypes allow for usability testing, user research, and immediate feedback that can be easily implemented without having to backtrack within the web development process where such backtracks are very costly.
1. Perform Usability Testing with Prototypes Before Web Development
The web development process, even on a smaller, less labor-intensive project, can feature complicated code and tricky integrations. Flying blind and testing only post-development is a risky proposition, as making changes to code and integrations can take a lot more time and cause headaches down the line.
That’s why it’s so nice to get ahead of the process and…
2. Rapidly and Economically Change Key Interactivity Features in Wireframes
Changes to functionality aren’t devastating to your timeline or budget, at this point in the game.
3. Obtain Stakeholder Feedback for a Smaller Investment in Design Stage
There are often many voices in the room on any design or development project, so it’s good to garner extensive feedback as early as possible.
4. Better Web Development Estimates With Prototypes
Getting a web development bid can be complicated. The less detail on features, preferences, and requirements that are sorted out upfront, the more likely a project is to swerve wildly out of scope.
A clickable prototype allows decisions on aesthetics and basic functionality to be made early on in the process, which enables our developers to put together much more accurate estimates for software development of your site or application. Any strategy that saves time and money is a plus, in our book.
5. Invaluable Sales Tool
Instead of going ‘all in’ and pitching an expensive development project that may or may not ultimately be deemed a success, chunk a manageable, yet important piece of the puzzle and present that to the rest of your organization’s team of decision-makers.
Think of functional prototypes as an internal sales tool, and an effective one at that.
6. PrototypesAre Cost-effective and Time-saving
We’ll reiterate: building a clickable prototype saves money and time in the long run. By reducing risk up-front and providing clarity for web developers and stakeholders prototypes are the most effective way to describe complex business rules and ensure success.
For more information on Adage’s prototyping process, get in contact with us.
