A key part of product development for a business is the prototype. The first test of the concept, the first time the idea goes from paper to the real world. This article explains why when you build the best prototype, it will certainly give you the best chance of amazing success.
What Are You Testing For?
The first question you need to ask yourself, is what are you testing for? What is the product doing, and how does it react to the real world? Is it practical? Does it work? Does it solve the problem you are intending to solve with it? You need to make sure you nail exactly what you are testing and what the aim of the prototype is, or the entire process will not work.
Be Ready to Refine
The entire point of prototyping is a refinement for the final product. Unless you get the design perfect first time around, which is very rare and hardly ever happens the product will change before it hits the world. If you receive some criticism, do not take it as a hindrance and signs the product will fail. A prototype is designed to be criticized, the more critical comments it gets the better. ‘It is too costly to produce’ or ‘the price to buy it is far too high!’. Every comment will lead to further ways you can tweak and refine the product until it is as close to perfect as possible for launch day.
Get it in the Hands of the Target Customer
This is key, get it into the hands of the customers you are targetting. The main reason again is to get feedback on how the product can be bettered and altered before launch, to reach the aims of its creation. You do not want feedback from people who are not going to use the product, you need feedback from the very people who will most likely use the product. This feedback is gold-dust. No matter whether you are soft goods prototyping or creating a prototype service, the feedback on whatever you are building before launch is vital for the success of your product or service.
Take Time to Analyse and Reflect
The time you prototype a product is the time you sit and analyze the feedback and the way people are using your product. Look at how people use it, are they using it how you intended for them too. Are they finding it difficult to use, or grasping it quickly. This is not the time to rush the launch, it is better to delay a launch to make sure it is perfect than rush it out early and then you find faults. This impatience could lead to irreparable brand damage, and your brand is vital.
Take Note of how to Manufacture the Product
Lastly, take note of how it is made. Was the process difficult, or did you experience issues? All of these elements of your product can be refined for the final product, and need to be taken into consideration during the prototype period.
Hopefully, this guide has helped broaden your mind when it comes to prototyping your product ahead of launching your product to the world!
