When we have an idea for a product, there can be a pretty strong urge to treat our initial plans as bond – why change something good, after all? But thinking this way means you may produce an inferior product to what’s possible. The secret? Prototyping. In this guide, learn what prototyping is, and why it’s essential when designing products
What is prototyping?
Prototyping involves the step-by-step, partial design and implementation of a product. It allows designers to mock up a product and tinker with its design to find the best possible solution to the problem the product aims to tackle.
Aspects of the product are altered with each new prototype, with unhelpful features and aspects of the design swapped for more valuable or cost-effective ones. The result is the most functional product possible, in terms of features, cost to manufacture, quality, much more.
4 key reasons why prototyping is essential
There are several benefits afforded by prototyping, all of which will have positive impacts on the final product.
Adjust the design
Prototypes allow designers and businesses to create the best possible design – one where the constituent components work in concert with one another. What’s more, altering and progressing your design is crucial even when you want to establish yourself as a classic.
Take the Coca-Cola bottle. After the original design was subject to copycats, the company put out the design brief to countless glass manufacturers across the US, eventually resulting in the iconic design we know today. If the original had been kept, or the brief only given to the existing designer, Coke might not be the global juggernaut it is today.
Conduct quality assurance
When prototyping, you can test the product continually, ensuring it meets the needs of the brief. Without this crucial work, you may end up with an inferior product that doesn’t meet user expectations or needs, resulting in the failure of the product.
Modify your tooling
Getting the right product is key, but we also need to make sure the tools used to create them are correct. Without this understanding, the manufacturer will find it impossible to create the product or end up using tooling that is poorly optimised for the task.
For instance, by trying a range of glue guns during the prototyping phase, you can ensure that the correct type, wattage, glue stick size, and flow rate is selected for full-scale manufacturing operations.
Understand the true cost of production
According to Manufacturing Hub, the design of a product affects 70% of the final cost of a product, followed by the material at 20%, and labour at 5%. That makes prototyping very important – select the wrong design and you can end up with an expensive or unprofitable product.
Prototyping is key to any product design process, so be sure to incorporate it into your next project. Has prototyping helped you before? Let us know how in the comments section.
