Changes

Here are a few tips and trics and guidelines for your prototyping process.

Here are a few tips and tricks and guidelines for your prototyping process.

You are encouraged to go crazy and come up with loads of ideas for your concepts but once you have narrowed down your final concept it is time to think about how you will build it.

You are encouraged to go crazy and come up with loads of ideas for your concepts but once you have narrowed down your final concept it is time to think about how you will build it.

#Your time is also valuable. Spend a few dollars if it will save your many hours of frustration.

#Your time is also valuable. Spend a few dollars if it will save your many hours of frustration.

== Prototype planning ==

==Prototype planning==

The first step when thinking about prototyping is deciding which technical specification(s) or metric(s) you want to evaluate. You can then use the specs to come up with an <u>objective</u> for your prototype and a <u>testing plan</u>. This objective, or reason, for the prototype will be a justification for making it, for example a high priority metric needs to be validated. The testing plan will include ways to evaluate the metric(s) and how the results will be collected. You can then develop and build a prototype that will be able to perform the outlined tests and give appropriate results.

The first step when thinking about prototyping is deciding which technical specification(s) or metric(s) you want to evaluate. You can then use the specs to come up with an <u>objective</u> for your prototype and a <u>testing plan</u>. This objective, or reason, for the prototype will be a justification for making it, for example a high priority metric needs to be validated. The testing plan will include ways to evaluate the metric(s) and how the results will be collected. You can then develop and build a prototype that will be able to perform the outlined tests and give appropriate results.

#Always solder electronic circuits with wire and protoboard. No breadboards or jumper cables here!

#Always solder electronic circuits with wire and protoboard. No breadboards or jumper cables here!

== Prototype testing and results ==

==Prototype testing and results==

Once your prototype is made then you can test it. Remember that the whole purpose for creating the prototype is to test and get measurable results to evaluate a metric(s). The results should be as objective as possible and collected with a clear procedure that is repeatable. This procedure should be documented so that multiple teammates could carry it out and achieve the same results. This is especially true when conducting interviews for user feedback.

Once your prototype is made then you can test it. Remember that the whole purpose for creating the prototype is to test and get measurable results to evaluate a metric(s). The results should be as objective as possible and collected with a clear procedure that is repeatable. This procedure should be documented so that multiple teammates could carry it out and achieve the same results. This is especially true when conducting interviews for user feedback.