Prototyping

Definition

Prototyping is a technique used to create a representation of a solution — ranging from low-fidelity sketches and wireframes to high-fidelity clickable mockups — in order to clarify requirements, validate understanding, and gather stakeholder feedback before development begins. Users often struggle to articulate needs in abstract terms; seeing and interacting with a prototype surfaces missing requirements, exposes misunderstandings, and accelerates alignment.

Inputs

• Defined scope of the screens, workflows, or features to prototype
• Stakeholder availability for review and feedback
• Identified areas of high ambiguity or high risk of misinterpretation
• Design tools or whiteboard materials for rapid creation

Outputs

• Low or high-fidelity prototype (wireframe, mockup, or clickable demo)
• Stakeholder feedback and validated or revised requirements
• Resolved design ambiguities and confirmed user flows
• Inputs to final requirements, user stories, and acceptance criteria

When to Use

• User-facing applications where interface design significantly affects requirements
• Complex multi-step workflows where stakeholders need to experience the flow to validate it
• High-risk areas where misinterpretation would be costly to correct after development
• When stakeholder alignment is difficult to achieve through written requirements alone

When Not to Use

• Simple, well-understood requirements where a prototype adds overhead without insight
• When stakeholders may anchor too strongly on the prototype and resist necessary changes — set expectations upfront
• Back-end, infrastructure, or data requirements that have no meaningful visual representation