B2.2B Physical prototypes for design testing

Physical Prototypes: The Thing You Can Actually Hold

Why Build Physical Prototypes?

1. Helps Others Understand the Design
2. Tests Scale and Space
3. Reveals Practical Issues (identify flaws in comfort, interaction etc.)
4. Supports Iteration

The Three Things a Physical Prototype Tests

Scale

1. The size of the prototype relative to the final product.

1. Considerations:
   1. Full-scale prototypes: Provide accurate insights into ergonomics and functionality.
   2. Scaled-down models: Useful for large products (e.g., buildings) to test overall design and spatial relationships.

Shape

1. The geometric form of the prototype.

1. Considerations:
   1. Ensure the shape accurately represents the intended design.
   2. Test how the shape affects functionality, aesthetics, and user interaction.

Space

1. The relationship between the prototype and its environment.

1. Considerations:
   1. Test how the prototype fits within its intended space (e.g., a chair in a room).
   2. Evaluate how it interacts with other objects or systems.

Aesthetic or Functional? Decide Before You Build

1. An aesthetic prototype looks right but does not work. It answers questions about form, colour, size and appeal.
2. A functional prototype works but may look nothing like the final product. It answers questions about whether the mechanism, circuit or structure actually performs.
3. Trying to make one model do both is usually a mistake, because it doubles the cost and delays the test you needed first.
4. Decide which question is more urgent, build the model that answers it, and build the other one later.