make it or break it: evolutionary or throwaway prototyping

Make It or Break It: Evolu0onary Vs. Throwaway Protoyping EdUI – Nov 8, 2010

Make It or Break It: Evolu0onary Vs. Throwaway Protoyping

November 8, 2010

Joe Sokohl

[email protected]@mojoguzzi


Agenda•What’s a prototype?

•Why should we prototype?

•What kinds of prototypes are we chaDng about today?

•Which one do I use?

• Discussion, sources, & wrap (and a discount!)

So, what is a prototype, anyway?

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A representa0ve model or simula0on of the final system

Todd Zaki Warfel, Prototyping: A Prac//oner’s Guide


A prototype is intended to answer specific ques0ons about func0onality or interac0on styles. If you don't have any ques0ons, don't bother with a prototype.

Karl Wiegers, “In Search of Excellent Requirements”


Paul Kunkel: Apple Design: The Work of the Apple Industrial Design Group


hQp://edibleapple.com/wp-‐content/uploads/2009/08/augmented-‐reality-‐paris-‐2.jpg

http://edibleapple.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/augmented-reality-paris-2.jpg

http://edibleapple.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/augmented-reality-paris-2.jpg


Why should we protoype?

Reduced risk

Smaller systems

Less complex systems

Reduc0on in creeping requirements

Improved visibility


Why should we protoype?

Genera0ve

Show, tell & experience

Reduc0on of misinterpreta0on

Savings in 0me/effort/money

Reduc0on of waste

Real-‐world value


http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosenfeldmedia/3978302604/





As I see it, knowing how to

prototype, test, and evaluate results

quickly is the most valuable

skill for designers of persuasive technology.BJ Fogg, “Crea0ng Persuasive Technologies: An Eight-‐Step Design Process”



Types of Prototypes

Evolu0onary

Throwaway

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Evolu2onary Prototype


This is the first one. This is it exactly. This is my hand-wired prototype, not a real Apple I or Apple ][ PC board. There are 4 white 2KB EPROMs on the upper board - that's how I developed BASIC and all the other routines of the Apple I. This is an Apple ][ prototype. I can tell by how few chips it is. The Apple I had a computer board attached to my video terminal board, in the prototype stage." __Steve Wozniak

h\p://www.geekculture.com/joyo^ech/joystuff/apple1cake/firstapple.jpg


Paul Kunkel: Apple Design: The Work of the Apple Industrial Design Group


Throwaway Prototype

So...which do I use?

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Use evolu0onary prototype (EVP) when• User requirements are (almost) defined.

• Few interac0on and visual design problems exist, and informa0on architecture is defined.

• UX team is highly experienced.

• UXers also create the deployable front-‐end code.

• Usability tes0ng is summa0ve, not forma0ve.

• Project requires li\le documenta0on.


Use throwaway prototype (TAP) when• User requirements are ill-‐defined.

•Major interac0on or visual design (or both) issues remain, and the IA is not well defined.

• You have less experienced UXers.

• UX does not do development.

• Usability tes0ng is forma0ve and occurs mul0ple 0mes throughout the project.

• Project requires detailed documenta0on.


TAP TAP/EVP

EVPTAP

Paper

Screen comps

Axure/Balsamiq/iPlotz/iMockup...

Sketchflow/Expression Flash Catalyst

Fireworks

Hand-‐coded HTML

Let’s Discuss Amongst Ourselves

What’s your experience?

How have you succeeded?

Where have you been challenged?

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Hackos, JoAnn & Janice (Ginny) C. Redish: User and Task Analysis for So@ware Design

Kunkel, Paul: AppleDesign: The Work of the Apple Industrial Design Group

McConnell, Steve: Rapid Development: Taming Wild So@ware Schedules and So@ware Project Survival Guide

Snyder, Carolyn: Paper Prototyping: The Fast and Easy Way to Design and Refine User Interfaces

Warfel, Todd Zaki: Prototyping: A Prac//oner’s Guide

Winograd, Terry, ed.: Bringing Design to So@ware

Some Books

Special discount code: order Todd’s book from Rosenfeldmedia.com and use code MOJOGUZZI. Save 25%.

Thank you!

Joe Sokohl

[email protected]

@mojoguzzi

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make it or break it: evolutionary or throwaway prototyping

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