The Importance of prototyping

REGINA BVUDZIJENA

Picking up from where we left off last week, today I’m going to provide more detail on the subject of prototyping. I will also give a few tried and tested tips on how to prototype successfully. What is prototyping? Why is it important? How do you do it? I’m guessing these are the questions going through your head right now, but do not worry, all these questions will be answered fully below. If you followed my advice on how to ideate I’m sure by now you are now ready to prototype your concept and test it out.

Before testing your idea in a real market with real customers, it is easy to assume that that your idea is perfect. Many startups have failed because they built something that sounded good on paper but had little chance of working once launched. In order to build a good product you must start by physically creating it so that you validate it and change or tweak it as you go, removing features that don’t work and adding those that do.

This is very important and leads us to the next section where I will outline why it is important for you to prototype your business / startup concept.

Why is it Important?
It assists the entrepreneur in refining the functionality of the designs.

One can never pin point the errors or feasibility of their designs unless you prototype them.

Here in Zimbabwe we have a challenge where many startups are just excited about their idea and instead of prototyping they do mass production of something that lacks functionality. In the end the target market ends up not using it resulting in a major loss on the part of the entrepreneur. Prototyping helps you avoid going down the wrong path with everything that you have.

When you prototype you get a chance to test the performance of your product.

It is very important to address issues to do with performance before your product hits the market. No one wants to buy and use a product that gives them value for money or does what it is supposed to at least cost. Just recently I had a discussion with an entrepreneur who created an app that allows users to get feeds from 4 social media platforms on 1 app, he created it and without prototyping he just made is available on application stores but after months he realized that the app does not allow the user to respond to a comment unlike the original social media platform. These are the things that actually put off customers from using products which will in turn destroy the startup. Make sure you prototype and test before you eventually launch.

It exudes professionalism
There is a common misconception that entrepreneurs should just be random in the way they do their things because of the creativity and innovation that runs in them, when in actual fact being organized can help you be more efficient and impact your startup positively. When you have a prototype you separate yourself from the rest of the people who just have vague ideas in their heads because you will have something tangible to review and show others. It helps you to prove that your idea is not only good on paper but is also feasible and efficient.

The prototyping stage is a great time to use all your untapped creative ability and to explore all the possibilities that are on the market. Don’t limit yourself to any preconceived notions.

How to Prototype
You can start by creating a simple mockup Whether your product is physical or digital, start off by creating a quick sample of what the product will look like and show it to an audience. Your prototype can be homemade and simple and doesn’t need to look like the actual product you intend to launch. You can then do a research on the target market so that you can understand what they think of your idea. Once you receive feedback you can tweak you product taking out the stuff that doesn’t work and introducing new features. Use A/B testing and take note of which version works well with your target market.

Offer your target market a mini version of your product
You can also prototype by offering mini-versions of your product to the target market. Their product experience will give you an opportunity to get to know them better. This will also allow you to understand how people interact with the product so that you can iterate and refine it from there.

Build a landing page
Once you have an idea of what you want to build, throw up a landing page where people can sign up for more information. On your one-page website, give a clear and concise description of what you will be offering in the future. Then work on driving traffic to your page to see if people relate to your value proposition and actually sign up to learn more. Added bonus: when you are ready to launch you already have an email list of individuals who have expressed interest. This is a great starting point for getting customers for your product with minimum effort.

Tips you can use to prototype
1. Tailor the Prototype to Your Audience.
2. Explain and prepare your Audience about what you are about to offer them.
3. Make User Interactions as Simple as possible
4. Use real images and icons whenever possible

Overall, building and testing prototypes is the key to ensuring that you are designing a product that meets your customers’ expectations.

Tech Hub is ready to help you with your prototype. If you require more information on these models of prototyping we are ready to help you. Contact us at Http://www.cowork.co.zw or hararehub@gmail.com or call us on 0713016754.

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