Prototyping in UI/UX design is often considered a crucial step. But what is it exactly? And what does it involve? What are the prototyping techniques? We provide you with the details in this article.
What is prototyping in UI/UX design?
Prototyping in UI/UX design is a design technique that involves creating interactive mockups of a digital product’s user interface (such as a website or application). Its purpose is to test and improve the design before moving into the development phase. It helps designers optimize the user experience while minimizing the risks of unnecessary costs and development time.
What are the types of prototypes?
There are several types of prototypes in UI/UX design. Here are some of them:
Low-fidelity prototypes
Low-fidelity prototypes are simplified and quick models. They are often created by hand or using simple design tools like sketches or wireframing tools. Designers use them primarily to experiment with design ideas and quickly evaluate concepts. They are advantageous in terms of simplicity, speed, and low cost. However, low-fidelity prototypes may lack precision compared to other types of prototypes, making it challenging to analyze interaction and user experience. If you are looking for quick results, low-fidelity prototypes are useful, especially in the early stages of design.
High-fidelity prototypes
High-fidelity prototypes are more detailed and elaborate mockups. They are designed with more precision and attention to detail. To create them, advanced design tools like prototyping software and graphic design tools are used. High-fidelity prototypes are useful for testing more sophisticated designs and simulating complex usage scenarios. This prototyping method offers precision and has a great ability to simulate real user interactions. However, high-fidelity prototypes may take more time and cost more than low-fidelity prototypes.
Functional prototypes
Functional prototyping involves creating fully functional prototypes of a user interface. Unlike low-fidelity or high-fidelity prototypes, which mainly focus on the appearance and interaction of the user interface, functional prototypes aim to simulate the entire workflow of an application or website. Web development tools (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) or prototyping tools are often used to create functional prototypes. Functional prototypes can accurately simulate the functionality of the final product. However, they require more time and advanced technical skills, usually involving the use of programming languages.
Interactive prototypes
Interactive prototypes allow users to interact with the simulated user interface for better testing. They can be created using prototyping software capable of producing interactive mockups or by using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code. What distinguishes this prototyping method is the ability to simulate real user interactions, replicating the interactions a user would have with the final product. However, creating high-fidelity interactive prototypes may be more demanding than low-fidelity or high-fidelity prototypes.
Closed-loop prototypes
Designers create and test closed-loop prototypes throughout the design process. They use testing data and user feedback to improve the design in real-time. There are numerous prototyping tools available for creating closed-loop prototypes, such as Figma, Sketch, and Adobe XD. While this prototyping method offers the advantage of continuous user feedback and rapid design refinement, it may take more time and be more costly than other prototyping methods.
In summary, prototyping in UI/UX design is an essential element of the design process. It is used to evaluate and validate design ideas before production. Designers use prototypes to simulate user interface interaction, test navigation and user experience, and gather feedback on different design options. This step helps create digital products that better meet user needs and perform better in terms of usability