Product Prototyping: The Ultimate Guide on how to develop a prototype and common mistakes to avoid

What's the one secret tool that top companies use to churn out successful products that sell like hot cakes and develop a cult-like following? How do the most successful companies get it right every single time, year after year?  

The answer: Prototyping is the way to amplify your product design process and supercharge your performance.

What are prototypes and why we need them

A prototype is a preliminary version of your product that helps creators refine and validate their ideas, and make improvements before investing in full-scale production. Prototyping is considered a vital and essential step in the product development process for its numerous benefits:

1. Test your products functionality Prototypes allow creators to test and validate their ideas in the real world. You can see whether it works as intended and meets the needs and expectations of your customers.  They enable you to check the functionality, usability, feasibility, and desirability of a product before investing in mass production.  ‍
2. Saves money before production A prototype phase production can help you avoid wasting money on producing a product that may not work or sell well. The small scale production helps identify flaws and areas for improvement, saving time and money by preventing costly errors in the later stages. ‍
3. Determines a product’s usefulness A prototype can help you test whether your product solves a real problem or adds value to your potential users. You can use it to measure the demand and market potential of your product and adjust your strategy accordingly

1. Allows you to demonstrate your product to investorsA prototype helps to communicate the product idea by serving as a tangible representation. It helps convey the concept to potential customers, investors, partners, or media, and solicit feedback and suggestions for improvement showcasing its functionality and market potential. This builds confidence and credibility and can attract funding for further development.

1. Highlights the proper materials to useThe small-scale production helps to determine the best materials, components, and techniques to use for the final product, as one can see which works best in terms of durability, quality, and functionality. It helps ensure the final product is made from materials that meet industry standards and regulations, as well as customer expectations.

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The 7 steps of the product prototype development phase

Step 1: Product idea and research -Define clear objectives

Before you start designing your prototype, you need to do some research on your target market, competitors, customer needs, and industry trends. This will help you identify the problem you are solving, the value proposition of your product, and the features and specifications you need to include. The first step in in making a prototype are ideation and research. Read how we conducted extensive research to understand the users of Bloom — wireless charger, designed by Analogy for Eurotronic.  

Research can be conducted by studying the market and market trends, analyzing user behavior and looking at past performance of similar ideas and products. There are a multitude of research methodologies that we employ at Analogy — demographic and psychographic segmentation, user studies and surveys, empathy mapping, competitor research, product breakdowns, etc.  
These research techniques help the team at Analogy finalize the product prototype requirements.

Step 2: Draw a design

It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. The second step is to sketch out your product idea on paper or on a digital tool. You don’t need to be an expert artist, just draw the basic shape, dimensions, and components of your product. This will help you visualize how your product will look like and how it will work.

A simple hand drawn sketch describing the visuals of a product from 2–3 angles can help you anticipate and solve numerous problems in prototype development, well in advance. Quite often, we begin our projects’ ideation phase by simply sketching on post it notes or A5 sheets. For projects like iDiya, the sketching phase was quite extensive since the form of the product had rotational symmetry. Read about our prototype phase production process for iDiya – a smart wellness device.

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Step 3: Develop a virtual model from your design

Once you have a rough sketch of your product, you can use a software tool to create a 3D model of your product. This will allow you to see your product from different angles, add textures and colors, and make adjustments as needed. You can also simulate how your product will perform under different conditions and scenarios.

3D tools like SolidWorks, Fusion 360 and Rhinoceros 3D are quite helpful for developing 3D CAD models of your product. Each of these tools have their own strengths and weaknesses and your choice of tool will depend on multiple factors — where you are in the prototype development process, amount of versatility needed in the model, who is using the virtual model and what it is being used for. Our work for Cellairis designing rugged iPhone cases involved a lot of CAD modelling, which later helped out our clients by reducing their tooling cost by 60% with a 40% increase in impact protection.

For many, this third step seems a bit intimidating at first, especially start-ups. No worries, we can help you with creating a virtual model and small-scale production before or during the product prototype phase.  

Step 4: Determine whether you require assistance

Depending on the complexity and scope of your product, you may need some help from experts or professionals to create your prototype. For example, you may need an engineer to help you with the technical aspects, a designer to help you with the aesthetics, or a manufacturer to help you with the materials and production. You can also use online platforms or services to find freelancers or collaborators who can assist you with your project.

Using our multiple models of engagement, we work with the largest and smallest companies, providing them with tailored assistance to reach their product and prototype goals. We work with recently incorporated startups headed by enthusiastic first-time founders, as well as large Fortune 500 companies with global teams and multiple business units. Click here to explore the product design services Analogy offers.

Step 5: Generate a proof of concept

A proof of concept comes before the fully functional prototype and the final product. Many inventors get caught up in the endless cycle of trying to perfect the Proof of Concept. What they forget is that multiple such models can be built to showcase and test various different functionalities and aspects of the products’ design.

One model could validate the size and scale of the product. Another could demonstrate the core functionality while a third could be a purely aesthetic model showcasing the paint and finish scheme of the product. While designing the employee onboarding kits for Maersk, we developed multiple Proofs of Concepts to validate the size, items, graphics and textures.

While designing the employee onboarding kits for Maersk, we developed multiple Proofs of Concepts to validate the size, items, graphics and textures.

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Step 6: Choose the right type and develop your prototype

After you have validated your proof of concept, you can start creating your actual prototype. There are different types of prototypes that vary in their level of fidelity and detail. You can choose the type that best suits your needs and budget. Whether it is just a simple mock-up, a functional protype or even a production-ready one, they can help you avoid wasting resources and a delay in development.
Some common types are:

Paper prototype

A low-fidelity prototype that uses paper or cardboard to represent the physical appearance and interaction of your product. It is cheap and easy to make, but it has limited functionality and realism. Discover how we used one for the commercial kitchen design consultation project for Agnisumukh's stove.

Digital prototype

A medium-fidelity prototype that uses software tools to create an interactive simulation of your product. It is more realistic and functional than a paper prototype, but it may not reflect the actual look and feel of your product. Digital prototypes are used extensively to run through apps, websites and other digital products. Read about the process involved in building an AI powered camera fitness tracking app for our clients.

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Low fidelity prototypes  

These are quick and simple versions of a product that are used to test core functionality and user flows. They are usually created early on in the design process and don’t require a lot of time or resources to produce. Low fidelity prototypes can be either hand-drawn sketches or basic digital wireframes without color or content. These low-tech designs allow UX designers to e.g. visualize each screen’s layout, test navigation, and imagine user flows. Low fidelity prototypes are useful for gathering feedback on basic structural elements, such as information architecture, hierarchy, and content placement, without the potential distraction of visual design factors like colors and typefaces.

High fidelity prototypes

They are much more detailed versions of a product that closely resemble the final user experience. Usually, they are created later on in the design process, once the core functionality and user journeys have been validated with low fidelity prototypes.  Creating high fidelity prototypes normally requires more time and resources than low fidelity ones. High fidelity versions can be created using software tools that allow designers to add colors, content, images, icons, fonts, and interactivity to their wireframes. These high-tech designs allow UX designers to test visual design ideas and get buy-in from stakeholders. They are also very useful for conducting user research sessions like usability testing, providing a more true-to-life scenario than low fidelity can offer.

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Physical prototype

A high-fidelity prototype that uses materials and components that are similar or identical to those of your final product. It is the most realistic and functional type of prototype, but it is also the most expensive and time-consuming to make.

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Step 7: Quality Control – Repeat any steps as needed and get production-ready

The prototype phase development is an iterative process that requires testing, evaluation, and improvement. Before you partner with a prototype manufacturer like Analogy Design, you should test yours with real users or customers, collect feedback, measure results, and identify areas for improvement. You should then make changes to your design or functionality based on the feedback and test again until you are satisfied with your prototype. Discover our 5 ways to create positive impact on creative ideas.

Working with an experienced prototype manufacturer can streamline this process, especially before and during the small-scale production phase. We have years of experience, from start-ups to fortune 500 companies, and can offer valuable insights into materials, cost-efficiency, and production techniques, helping you make your product idea a reality and optimizing it for scalability.

Avoiding Common Mistakes in Product Design and Prototyping

‍For startups and new designers, avoiding common prototyping mistakes is crucial to saving both time and resources. The prototype development phase is where ideas take shape, and certain missteps can delay progress or lead to costly revisions. Here’s a guide to some of the top mistakes to avoid while prototyping and how to navigate them.

Lack of Clear Objectives and Specifications

It is essential to have defined objectives and specifications. Without clear goals, you may end up with a prototype that doesn’t align with requirements. Start by detailing the prototype development goals to ensure you’re on the right track.

Ignoring Target User Feedback

Prototyping without user feedback can lead to functional or aesthetic needs. Gathering feedback is critical to align with market expectations. Conduct user testing early and refine the prototype based on actual insights.

Choosing the wrong Prototype Type

As explained earlier in this article, there are different kinds and choosing an unsuitable prototype type can waste resources. For example, starting with a high-fidelity kind may be premature. Use small scale production during the product prototype phase to test concepts and progress to more advanced models as needed.

Underestimating the Importance of Testing

Testing is vital in the prototype production phase for durability, usability, and safety. Skipping thorough testing could lead to mistakes that appear in final production. Test each iteration rigorously to catch potential flaws and optimize for end-user satisfaction.

Not Budgeting for Changes

The process is iterative, and changes are often necessary. Failing to budget for adjustments may limit resources and compromise the final result. Allocate a portion of your budget for revisions based on user feedback or technical testing.

Examples of Prototyping Mistakes we made and Lessons Learned

Let's be honest, nobody is perfect. The question is: Do you learn from your mistakes? At Analogy, we’ve faced various prototyping mistakes in the past. Here are a few projects with early challenges.

First on the list is the Dostea Tea Maker Machine project. Having high expectations on a high-fidelity prototype too soon, lead to added costs and more iterations.
Similarly, on the UV Sanitizing Unit project for Violet Ease, having a lack of clear objectives and specifications resulted in project delays and the founder having to raise additional investment.
On the project with the camcorder charger for Bluemax, ignoring target user feedback and moving straight to production lead to high cost in mass production and finally the product put on hold. We had to go and solve the problems leading to more development cost and a significant time increase in the delivering the project.

Such experiences have reinforced the importance of planning, using small scale production during the product prototype phase, and careful budgeting when it comes to product prototyping projects.

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To summarize, the development of a prototype is an essential step in creating a successful product. It can help you test, validate, improve, and present your idea in a realistic and tangible way. Following the 7 steps and avoiding the most common mistakes outlined in this article will bring you closer to making your product idea a reality. If you are looking for an experienced prototype manufacturer, do not hesitate to get in contact with us - one of the best product & industrial design fims in India - for a free discovery call.