Prototype

How it is used

Designers build prototypes in Figma, ProtoPie or even on paper, then use them in usability tests and stakeholder demos. Also a verb: 'We prototyped the new filter in two days.' A prototype can be low or high fidelity.

Example sentences

1. Let's test the prototype with five users before the developers start.

2. The prototype only works for the happy path, so please don't click the settings icon.

Common collocations

• build a prototype
• test a prototype
• clickable prototype
• share the prototype link

Related terms

• wireframeA simple, usually black-and-white drawing of a screen that shows where content, buttons and navigation will go, without final colours, images or styling.
• mockupA static, realistic image of a screen or product that shows the final colours, fonts, images and spacing but cannot be clicked.
• clickable prototypeA prototype in which screens are linked together, so clicking or tapping buttons and links takes the user to the next screen as in a real product.
• usability testingA research method in which real users try to complete tasks with a product or prototype while a researcher watches, to find out where they struggle.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• prototype · Software Engineering
• prototype · Game Development
• prototype · Product Management
• prototype · Mechanical Engineering
• prototype · Entrepreneurship & Startups
• prototype · Military & Defence

More terms: Wireframes and Prototypes

• low-fidelity
• high-fidelity