Prototyping

The best practice in every project is cyclic prototyping; start prototyping very early. Very quickly, all design aspects and provisions to be made will reveal themselves. Repeat this process until necessary.

In prototyping consider the following rules:

  1. Recognize That Ideas Are Cheap  Given the connected, Internet-savvy world in which we live, ideas have become cheap … A great prototype is often the best way to start a dialogue with potential customers and test your idea’s value.
  2. Start With a Paper Design  … Writing code without real consideration for several design factors leads to heartache and a lot of rework … You can get peers and, hopefully, customers to give feedback … Paper designs are inexpensive and more valuable than words.
  3. Put in Just Enough Work  Know your objectives and stick to them … Keep these objectives in mind and be careful not to fall in love with the process … you want to invest just enough time and work to meet the objectives.
  4. Anticipate for Multiple Options  Design your prototype with modularity in mind … Customers ultimately decide how to use your product, not you. Design in options for expansion, performance, packaging, and lower cost.
  5. Design for Reuse in the Final Product  … Look for prototyping tools that make it possible for you to scale your prototype from lab to market.
  6. Avoid Focusing on Cost Too Early  … Initially, focus on proving the value of your innovation, and design with modularity in mind … Focus on securing your first set of customers and then work on cost optimization.
  7. Fight “Reversion to the Mean”  When prototyping, the tendency is to develop something easy rather than develop something that has a “wow” factor. Stay true to your vision and make sure your prototype captures the original thought of your innovation.
  8. Ensure You Can Demonstrate Your Prototype  … Do not build up to a crescendo. Most people’s attention spans are limited to less than 60 seconds … If the demonstration is amazing, all else falls into place.

[source] http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/pub/p/id/579