I Prototyping

Prototyping is the process of developing a working replication of a product or system. It's an

experimental process where design teams implement ideas into tangible forms from paper to
digital.

Prototyping helps designers:

● Refine and validate designs

● Design an optimal experience for target users
● Determine key concerns, including user needs, navigation, information architecture,
usability, accessibility, UI, or visual design
● Turn a concept into a functioning item

Prototyping includes various stages:

● Sketching wireframes on paper

● Creating user flows
● Developing lots of ideas
● Testing on users Prototyping can be used to obtain customer feedback.

Prototyping can be done in varying degrees of fidelity.

● Low-fidelity prototypes are ideal for rapidly testing broad concepts. They're quick, cheap,
and highly collaborative. They don't require advanced design skills, so different people
from different teams can easily be involved.
● A high-fidelity prototype is a representation of the interface created digitally using some
software tools. It closely resembles the end product in terms of the look and feel of using
it. It's an interactive simulation of the final interface, demonstrating all the features.

-------------------------------------------------

II Design Process

A UX design process is a process that starts with research and ends with a solution. It is a
continuous process that includes

● research
● Prototyping
● Testing
● Refining

- The first step in the design process is to conduct user research to identify the
problem or opportunity to be addressed by the product or service.
 - User interviews are often used for this purpose but other methods can also be
employed such as surveys or contextual inquiries.
- The next step in the UX design process is to create prototypes of what the
product might look like when it’s finished. Prototypes are often created by
sketching on paper but they can also be created using software like Sketch or
Adobe Illustrator.

UX Design Process vs. Design Thinking Process

- When it comes to user experience design, there are two main processes that designers
use. The UX design process is focused on creating a product that meets the needs of
the user, while the design thinking process is focused on solving problems through
creative thinking.
- The two processes have different goals and methods, but they both have their benefits.
The UX design process is more linear and often more focused on the front-end of the
product, while the design thinking process is more exploratory and can lead to better
solutions.

8 Stages of UX Design Process

Stage 1 – Project Definition and Scope

The purpose of this document is to provide a comprehensive overview of the project. First, the
project definition and scope will be defined, followed by a discussion of the project team and
their qualifications. Finally, the expected results of the project will be outlined.

Stage 2 – Understanding the Problem

In order to improve a website, it is important to understand the problem. This first step, known
as problem discovery, allows designers to identify issues that users are having with the current
design. Once the problem is understood, the designer can begin to formulate a solution. This
process is known as problem solving and is an important part of the design process.

Stage 3 – UX Research

User experience (UX) research is an important part of any product development process. It
helps determine how well a product meets the needs of its users. By understanding the needs
of your target audience, you can create a product that is both user-friendly and attractive. UX
research can be divided into four main categories: demographic research, psychographic
research, customer interviews, and usability testing.
Stage 4 – Ideation – Sketching and Low-Fidelity Prototyping
When creating a new product, it is important not to get too caught up in the details. The first step
is to simply come up with ideas, which can be done through sketching and low-fidelity
prototyping. This allows for a broad range of ideas to be generated without getting bogged down
by the details. Once a general direction has been decided upon, then more detailed work can be
done.

Stage 5 – High-Fidelity Mockups and Prototypes

High-fidelity mockups and prototypes are an important part of the design process. By definition,
a mockup is a scale or full-size model of a design or device, used for demonstration, promotion,
design evaluation, or other purpose. In general, the main purpose of a mockup is to
communicate how something will work.

Stage 6 – Usability Testing

A prototype can be helpful in testing the usability of a design. By having an early version of the
design that is interactive, you can test how people will interact with it. You can also use a
prototype to test the design’s layout and appearance.

Stage 7 – Design Handoff

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the design handoff process. In order to successfully
complete a design handoff, it is important to have a clear plan and a good communication
strategy between the different team members. By having a plan in place, the team can avoid
any misunderstandings or delays in the project timeline. Design handoff in ux design is
important for improving user experience. By involving the design team early in the process, we
can ensure that the user interface is well-considered from the get go.

Stage 8 – Quality Assurance or UX Audit

Quality Assurance (QA) generally refers to a planned and systematic process for ensuring that
products (services and information) meet specified requirements and are fit for their intended
purpose. In software development, it is often referred to as software testing. QA is used in all
aspects of product development, from idea generation to customer feedback after product
release.
--------------------------------------
III Types of prototyping

Prototypes can be further defined into four main categories. There are feasibility prototypes,
low-fidelity user prototypes, high-fidelity user prototypes, and live-data prototypes. Each of these
prototypes serves a different purpose and is important in bringing new devices to the market.

Feasibility Prototypes

Feasibility prototypes are often what engineers use while in the lab in the very early stages of
development. In some organizations, feasibility prototypes are used in advanced engineering
prior to committing to developing the device. These are very simple models, sometimes these
prototypes are non-functioning. These prototypes may even be of components instead of the
whole device. At this stage, engineers use feasibility prototypes to evaluate the technical
performance and general risks of the device. These models are some of the first of the devices.

Low-Fidelity User Prototypes

Low-fidelity user prototypes for medical devices are early development devices that are
non-functional. These devices will look and feel similar to the final device but are really designed
to see how the device will fit into its workflow or environment. Doctor offices, surgeons, medical
technicians use many medical products in a given procedure. So medical devices need to
co-exist with other products. It is critical for a medical device’s adoption that it is able to integrate
into its workspace. This includes evaluating how the device needs to be stored, compatibility
with other products, and ease of use for the user. Low-fidelity user prototypes are a
cost-effective way to evaluate this workflow integration for a medical device.

High-Fidelity User Prototypes

High-fidelity user prototypes are the closest to the real final device form. These prototypes are
functional and typically manufactured using the same methods as the final device. These
prototypes are useful to demonstrate how the device works and if it is compatible with other
products. These prototypes may undergo some preliminary design testing. They will help inform
what changes need to be made to a medical device before performing verification and validation
testing. High-fidelity user prototypes may go through many iterations until the engineers feel that
they have the final successful device.

Live-data Prototypes

Live-data prototypes are not for human use but are used to collect data. Live-data prototypes
are devices that undergo verification and validation testing. The goal with these types of
prototypes is to prove efficacy. These may differ from the final device because there might be
multiple types of live-data prototypes or they may be manufactured in a lab rather than on a
manufacturing line.

PARTICIPATORY DESIGN METHODS

Participatory design methods are ways to involve regular people or the people who will use
something, like a product or a service
They( people) involve in the process of creating and making decisions about the product

This helps ensure that the final product or service is better because it's based on what those
people actually need and want

User Workshops: Conduct workshops where end-users together to discuss their needs,
preferences, and expectations. These workshops often involve brainstorming, ideation, and
prototyping.

Co-creation Sessions: Invite end-users to participate in the design process actively. This can
involve collaborating on the design of user interfaces, features, or services.

Contextual Inquiry: Researchers observe users in their natural environments to gain insights
into their activities, behaviours, and pain points. This method provides an understanding of the
user's context

Storytelling: Encourage users to tell stories about their experiences and challenges related to
the product or service. This method can reveal valuable insights

User Testing: Involve users in usability testing. Users interact with prototypes or the actual
product to identify usability issues and provide feedback for improvements

AGILE PROTOTYPING

Agile prototyping is a method used in product development that involves creating quick and
flexible prototypes of a product or system in small, incremental steps. These prototypes are
often simple and not fully functional but allow for rapid testing and improvement.

The "agile" part means that the process is flexible and can adapt to changes and feedback as
the project progresses. It's a way to continuously refine and enhance a product by building and
testing it in stages, which can help to save time and resources while ensuring that the final
product meets the user's needs effectively.

Example :

Agile prototyping is like building a model car one part at a time. You start with the basic frame,
test it, and then add more parts as you go. It's a flexible way to make sure the car works well
and fits together before you build the whole thing. You can change or improve parts along the
way, and it's a way to save time and money by catching problems early.

HYPOTHESIS BASED INNOVATION DEVELOPMENT

Hypothesis-based innovation development is an approach to creating new ideas, products, or

services where you start with a clear hypothesis or educated guess about what might work. You
then design experiments or tests to check if your hypothesis is correct. If it's not, you adjust your
approach and try again until you find a solution that works.

In simple terms, it's like saying, "I think this idea will work, but I'm not sure, so I'm going to test it
step by step until I get it right." This method helps to reduce the risk of investing a lot of time and
resources into an idea that may not be successful. It's a systematic way to innovate and develop
new things.