Software engineering

What Is Software Prototyping?

A software prototype is a simulation of how the actual project will

look, work, and feel and would not have an exact logic involved in
the software development phase. Software development team
members use it for designing user feedback and user testing. And
they come in various levels of sophistication. Software prototyping
refers to the process that starts by creating an idea, sketching it,
and making it into a clickable prototype that mimics real software.

3. Types of Prototyping Models

Here are some of the top types of prototyping models –

3.1 Throwaway Prototyping

Rapid throwaway or rapid prototyping is one the most important
type of prototyping models. It is based on the preliminary
requirement of the software applications. The throwaway prototype
can be quickly developed by the team to show how the initial
requirements of the system will look visually. In this model, the
feedback from the customers helps in driving changes in the
requirements and after the user feedback is received, the prototype
is again created to meet the client’s needs.

3.1 Throwaway Prototyping

Rapid throwaway or rapid prototyping is one the most important
type of prototyping models. It is based on the preliminary
requirement of the software applications. The throwaway prototype
Software engineering

can be quickly developed by the team to show how the initial

requirements of the system will look visually. In this model, the
feedback from the customers helps in driving changes in the
requirements and after the user feedback is received, the prototype
is again created to meet the client’s needs.

Basically, in this approach, the prototype created by the team will

be discarded and won’t become a part of the final accepted
prototype. This model is used by the software product designing
team to explore ideas and get instant feedback from the clients.

3.2 Evolutionary Prototyping

Another type of prototyping is an evolutionary prototype.
Evolutionary prototypes are created by the team in an incrementally
refined manner after accepting the customer’s final feedback. This
type of prototyping enables the team to save a lot of development
time and effort. And the main reason behind it is that the
development of a prototype from scratch for every different
interaction can be very frustrating.
Software engineering

The design team works on prototypes like this when the technology
that is going to be used in the project is new and not well
understood by the team. It is also the perfect model when it comes
to working on a complex project where all the features must be
checked at least once. Basically, evolutionary prototyping in
software development is useful when the software requirement is
not understood perfectly or it is not stable at the initial stage.
Besides, the screens (user interface) also have actual code behind
them. The user can see and interact with the prototype as if it were
the actual product. Over time and multiple feedback cycles, the
prototype may have more advanced functionality added to it as
needed by the client. The process thus results in the finished
product.

3.3 Incremental Prototyping

Incremental is a type of prototyping that enables the division of the
final product into smaller prototypes and then they are developed
individually. This means that different prototypes can be merged
into a single software. This approach is used to reduce the feedback
time between the application development team and the user.
Software engineering

3.4 Other Types

Besides the above-listed prototypes, there are some other software
prototyping techniques. They are of different types as per the level
of software details one wants to see in the prototype. And when a
very basic or low-effort prototype is created, it is called a low-fidelity
prototype. The best example of this is a paper prototype. The
designing team can also create a prototype in a detailed form, and it
is known as a high-fidelity prototype. Basically, creating a prototype
depends on the software requirements, the software developers or
designers, and how the experts use the client’s user interface
design and software prototyping tools to represent the system.

4. Factors That Decide The Best

Type Of Prototyping For You
As seen above, there are different types of software prototyping
available in the market. And this list makes it difficult for the team
members to make the decision of choosing the perfect software
prototyping technique. The final choice depends on the following
factors:
Software engineering

Software Prototyping Time

Cost of Software Prototypes
Scope & Fidelity of Building Prototypes

5. The Prototyping Process

Here are the steps that every software developer must follow while
going through the prototyping process.

5.1 Requirement Gathering

When it comes to the prototyping process, the very first step is to
identify the problem of the software and come up with a complete
version of the software solution. In this, the developing team must
be very clear about what activities the application will be used on
the platform. And for this, the developers must ask the project
owner for extensive details about the features and functionalities.
And here the owner can give his ideas regarding the potential
software design. After understanding the project’s type and its
requirements, the developers can create the prototype.

Before starting the creation of the prototype, the developer must

see to it that he has all the required details. As well as per the
requirement analysis, he can specify all the software details in the
prototype.
Software engineering

5.2 Develop Initial Prototype

The earliest prototypes are created by focusing on the general
arrangement of the appearance of the software application. Besides
this, the client also describes the functionality of the system in the
initial stage by the client. It can be in the form of on-paper
wireframes which is low-fidelity prototypes. Here the outline of the
application is informally outlined and a few basic functions will also
be highlighted.

5.3 Detailed Prototype Development

If the developers feel like they need to create a more detailed
functional prototype of the software for their own use and for the
client’s review, they can develop a detailed version of the software
design and coding. This can help us to understand the business
processes by the design and development team. And for this, they
can use advanced design and software prototyping tools to develop
a comprehensive architecture.

5.4 Revise
The last step in the software prototyping process is to make
revisions to the prototypes created after taking the client’s feedback
& requirements into consideration.

6. Advantages Of Software
Prototyping
Some of the major advantages of prototyping software applications
are –
Software engineering

6.1 Get Started Right Away

Developing a software application is not always an easy task, it can
be quite daunting especially when the software is complex and the
team has to think about every single thing the client requires. In the
beginning, the engineers can share a few ideas with the client and
after the approval, the designers can get start working by creating a
rough that can be refined later if required.

6.2 Reduces Risk

One of the most important benefits of software prototyping is
reducing risks. If the developer wants to avoid the scenario from the
start and reduce the risk of software failure, he must implement
software prototyping. This concept enables the developers to offer
the perfect solution as per the client’s feedback.

6.3 Offers Visual Guide

Software prototyping comes with the best feature known as a visual
guide. It enables the developers to see quick results. The best part
about it is that the clients can also get an easy-looking overview of
the system that the hired team has designed.

The basic prototype of the system enables both the clients and
developers to get the perfect idea of the system. While the high-
fidelity prototype is an approach that enables one to see what
exactly the software solution will look like after it will be developed.
A high-fidelity prototype allows one to have an interaction with it by
going through different screens, making sure the application flows
smoothly & perfectly, and clicking up buttons.
Software engineering

6.4 Allows Detecting Errors at the

Beginning
With the help of software prototyping, developers understand the
issues in the system very easily. They can detect errors in the
product concept. And because of the early detection, problematic
issues can be solved efficiently and quickly. This means that errors
cannot disrupt the development process as the errors are detected
and eliminated from the actual product. It also enables in reducing
the cost and time of implementing changes.

6.5 Save Time And Money

When new software is implemented in any organization, learning
and understanding it and its functionalities can be difficult for the
employees. Even when the employees start learning more about the
system, it is not necessary that the team will be happy with it. The
company should hire a development company that creates
prototypes and takes feedback on them before starting to work.
Through this, the business owner can give feedback and make the
system develop as per the requirements.

This means that prototyping is one of the best things to do if one

wants to identify problems early. This is beneficial for both
developers and business owners. It helps in saving a lot of time and
money.

6.6 Improves Client’s Involvement

Software prototyping also has the capability to enable the
customers to take part in developing the system. And this can be
beneficial for both development team members and clients. The
reason behind it is that it enables the clients to share their critiques
Software engineering

and opinions. While it allows the development team to be fully

aware of customers’ needs.

7. Disadvantages Of Software
Prototyping
Some of the disadvantages of software prototyping are –

7.1 Insufficient Analysis

When a developer only limits his focus on the prototype, it can
distract him from analyzing the entire project. One can overlook the
better solutions, conversion of limited prototypes, and incomplete
specifications.

7.2 User Confusion

Some of the clients feel that the prototype is a finished project. They
see the rough version of the system and feel that this is it, the final
software product is just a polish away. And this also makes the
clients wrongly perceive the prototype to be an accurate model.

7.3 Developer Misunderstanding of User

Objectives
For every software development project to be successful, both
customers and developers have to be on the same page. This
means that when clients give a list of all required features and the
clients show that in the prototype, it can create a conflict in the
team. The main reason behind it is that all the suggested features
might now be perfect for the software.
Software engineering

7.4 Excessive Development Time

Prototypes are something that is created so that the development
process can be followed quickly. If the developer spends a lot of
time designing a complex prototype, the project can run late and
this can also cost a lot of money.

8. Conclusion
As seen in this blog, prototyping is a much easier and simpler
approach in the world of software development. It is something that
can bring both the users and the developers on the same page and
this can help in saving a lot of last-minute hassles. This also helps in
translating to a significant financial advantage with no wastage of
development time. Basically, if the software prototype is great, it
means that the entire system will be perfect with minimal
difficulties.