What do prototypes prototype? – the Houde and Hill model
We will be looking at prototyping through a Human Computer Interaction (HCI) lens, as prototyping is understood differently in other disciplines. A prototype is a representation of part or all of a system. Prototyping methods and explorations have varied greatly over many decades. As digital media and ways to create and build artifacts have evolved, so has the need for prototyping. Some methods of the past, although still useful for idea generation, might be less appropriate for the types of challenges we might be facing in physical computing. Why do we prototype? There are several reasons. Prototypes are important to understand how a thing might work. They are important to help communicate our thoughts and ideas, facilitating ideas and conversations. They are useful for getting feedback to improve our designs and concepts. They can also be good for generating ideas.
A prototype can represent different states or features...