The Importance of Prototyping

By Eric Hamilton

May 07, 2020 06:20 PM EDT

The Importance of Prototyping(The Importance of Prototyping) (Credit: Getty Image)

Prototyping - What Value Does it Add to Your Business

A prototype is an experimental version of a product under development. Think of prototypes as earlier drafts of a product. Prototyping is an important part of the product development process as it allows you to test your ideas' viability. In this guide, we shall provide an in-depth analysis of the benefits of prototyping.

Idea testing and experimentation

Successful products all share one characteristic - innovation. Your products need to stand out in the market while providing value to your customers. To achieve innovation, your design team's creativity should never be stifled. Prototyping allows you to create different versions of your products incorporating novel design elements and features. The mainstream adoption of modern manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing and CNC machining has made the prototyping process affordable and much faster. With rapid prototyping, a business should be able to consistently bring innovative products to the market.

Proactively engaging your stakeholders

Product development is a collaborative process involving both internal and external stakeholders. Internally, a single product requires collaboration between various departments. In vehicle manufacturing, for instance, developing the engine prototype provides the dimensions that facilitate the design team working on the body. Regarding external stakeholders, having a viable prototype inspires confidence from investors and lending institutions. This is because a prototype is the best way to present an idea's viability to non-industry players.

Effective market research

Every business needs to understand the needs and preferences in its target market. It is only by understanding customer needs that you can develop products that solve their problems and add value to their lives. If internal assessments regarding design and functionality are positive, a public prototype is usually released to a small group of your target market. The participants will give their feedback regarding the prototype after using it for an adequate time period. This is also suitable when you have multiple competing designs to help you determine which model is best received by your customer base.

Selecting the right manufacturing partner

In most cases, the final product design will share a lot of similarities with the prototype. It is therefore prudent to use the prototyping process to vet manufacturers who you can work with during mass production. Ensure that they have the technology to work with your preferred raw materials. If you need CNC machining parts, they should have the equipment to deliver as per your specification. Check their track record regarding delivering order capacities that are similar to your mass production needs.

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