To create a successful website or mobile application, you need to identify the problem, visualize and define the solution, and then implement the solution. There is nothing more frustrating than spending too much time trying to solve a problem and making a series of mistakes that could have been avoided.
This is why prototyping is quickly becoming an essential tool for user experience (UX), user interface (UI), and web designers. Prototype plays a crucial role in determining problems, creating solutions, and improving the user experience of our products and services.
Speaking of prototyping, when we compare low fidelity and high fidelity, high fidelity will always win if you want to get a better insight into what the actual product looks like and want to get validation from stakeholders.
But yes, these are more costly and time-consuming than the former one, but still, it's worth it, especially if you have a new concept and want to launch it in the market. Why? Keep reading, and you will find out the answer,
Assist in The Product Discovery Process
User feedback helps you discover flaws in your design you couldn't have foreseen when you were creating it, which speeds up the iteration process. Once you've figured out exactly what your target market wants, you've finished your product discovery process.
By using high-fidelity, you'll be able to watch and track how actual users receive your final product. You can improve the overall user experience simply by listening to your customers and incorporating their feedback into product development.
The users will notify you immediately if they notice any flaws in your product, and they may even offer suggestions on how to fix them. This will assist you in addressing customer pain points even before your product hits the market.
Assists You in Developing A Concrete Plan
Without a doubt, planning is an essential component of launching your startup idea. You might as well plan to fail if you don't have a business plan to back you up. You must plan your product development, the resources required, and the budget that must be set aside for the project.
You will also need to set realistic deadlines to launch your product on time. So when you start creating prototypes, you will have a rough idea of how much time it will take you to complete the whole process.
Resolve Conflicts among Internal Stakeholders
Bringing a new product to market requires a lot of company resources. During the course of a project, some departments or contributors may disagree with each other. There are times when engineers and designers or any other departments can be quieted by a quick mockup, which shows how the product actually works.
As a result, your design teams can put their differences aside and continue to work on improving the overall design. Faster time-to-market is facilitated by having a prototype. Even so, when different members of the team aren't on the same page, it can help prevent costly design mistakes.
Saves You a Lot of Bucks
If Google can have failed products, so can you. There's no harm in that. We don't always have the budget to keep on experimenting. The prototype will lower your chances of failure. Your idea for a new business is rough and raw. So, you need to polish it until it shines before you can show it to your audience. The polishing will save you a lot of money in the long run if you do it early on.
The prototype you make will help you find bugs and mistakes early on in the process of making a product. You can easily see what's wrong with your product idea and get rid of it. Your teammates can fix these problems before they get bigger and take more time and resources to fix.
Helps You Distribute Your Resources Accurately
Having a working prototype will greatly improve your ability to plan. As a result, your project will run more smoothly and more efficiently. When you anticipate potential stumbling blocks, you are better prepared to set aside the necessary time and resources to overcome them.
A prototype also assists you in determining the scalability of your product as well as the ability of your team to move it forward. If you need to hire someone else to do your project, it's always best to have a plan ahead of time. Outsourcing your project in the middle of it can cause a lot of problems, and making prototypes will help you figure out how well your team can handle your final product.
Saves You from Creating Unwanted Products
If you do not prototype your product, you risk making costly mistakes that could have been avoided. In addition, you run the risk of missing out on user feedback that could help improve the final product. Not prototyping a product can also lead to incorrect assumptions about its marketability. Without putting it to the test with prospective clients
Another risk associated with not prototyping is wasting time and resources developing a product that no one wants or needs; prototypes help validate ideas and ensure feasibility.
Without a prototype, it may be difficult to determine if a product is worthwhile. You can also try to launch a Minimal viable product first to see whether there's a need in the market or not.
Helps to Pitch to Investors
Although a design shows what the final product will look like, it does not prove that the product is worth using. An abstract concept will require a physical representation to be successfully pitched within your company, let alone to investors.
Having a working prototype demonstrates the value of your concept to those around you and helps your team determine how to best market it. We won't lie and say that appearance influences our purchasing decisions more than anything else. However, beauty does not necessarily have the same meaning for ordinary people and investors.
For the latter, a beautiful product is both functional and capable of generating a high rate of return. Investments cannot be deceived by an elaborate design. If you cannot demonstrate that a large number of people are eager to use your application, they will not invest in you.
Conclusion
A wise man said a stitch in time saves nine. Early error detection spares you the trouble of having to allocate more resources to address the problem at a later stage of your product's development. Therefore, before you begin transforming your product into a more mature one, you must ensure that it is free of flaws. You obviously need a strong prototype for this.
Musemind can help you launch your concept in the form of a prototype or MVP so that you have a higher chance of getting successful. Do you have any project ideas in mind? Let's discuss it!