Axure RP - Introduction to Prototyping

The word prototyping is very common and relevant to folks in Software Development as well as Architectural development. When it comes to architectural development, in Egypt, there are prototypes of the Great Pyramids of Giza. These were constructed with (of course) a smaller version in order to take the agreement or approval from the ruler.

This small but meaningful example precisely illustrates the purpose of a prototype. According to Wikipedia, a prototype is, “A first or preliminary version of a device or vehicle from which other forms are developed.”

For the software development world, the definition can be adapted as, a preliminary version of a page, screen, or functionality, which supports the other development by visualizing the screen elements effectively and showcasing the interactions. This definition includes the most critical part, interaction.

In software development, for developing a part of functionality or the complete functionality itself, a considerable investment is required in terms of time and efforts. It is an unending process of developing, validating and correcting issues as per the feedback from clients.

Most of the software development companies want this process to be as quick as possible. Hence, they do not go ahead with effort and time investment from all the team members. Instead, they make a smart move of hiring a User Experience (UX) engineer, who has the skillset of visualizing a particular feature. This gets them on the driving seat when developing the product.

In essence, prototyping is required to simulate and visualize the software requirement very early in the development. The process eventually becomes beneficial to both software development companies and the clients as it reduces the unknown in the feature, thereby providing a right direction to the development.

Right Phase for Prototype Development

In the current era of high profile software development, there have been many advances in the overall software development life cycle table. These advances are from the aspect of technologies as well as the role/position of a particular team member in the life cycle. One such position has started getting traction, which is called a UX engineer.

A UX engineer is equipped with a skill set, which is beneficial for the customers. By using different techniques or steps to know the customer better, the UX engineer can get a good hold of what the user is expecting out of a given software product.

Usually, when the requirement gathering process takes place, tech companies are now involving the UX engineers to go out in the market to understand what the user needs. With the latest trend of Responsive Web XDesign and Mobile-First Approach to software development, there can be a number of areas one wants to focus their attention on. A UX engineer employs processes such as User Interviews, Market Surveys to know the pulse of its intended audience.

This process is time taking as well as important, as it gets the path clear for the software product to see its suitability in the market. These steps are employed when gathering the software requirements and eliciting them. It is an ideal phase, as it reduces the overall cost of development. However, when the software product is mature, one can introduce the UX research phase in order to gauge the viability of the enhancement being made.