Subject:
Using Paper Prototypes
What is a Paper
Prototype ?
A paper prototype is a design tool used for the
creation and testing of a software application interface. Using a paper
prototype, proposed interface elements are drawn on pieces of paper (such as
large "Post-It" notes) or on a whiteboard, and the elements are repeatedly
manipulated until the design achieves superior usability.
Typically, a design team creates a paper prototype
and then observes unassisted users operating the interface. Using this
feedback,
the design is refined and further tested until the final structure is
established. Then coding begins.
Why Use Paper Prototypes?
This article tells a story: "The company had spent
considerable time and money to produce their first release, just to learn that
they hadn't quite gotten it right. In a sense, that first release was actually
a
"prototype" for the next release, a prototype that had taken many, many
developer-years to build. Because their market had become increasingly
competitive, the company couldn't afford another so-so release. And they
couldn't wait years or even months for that key feedback - they needed it
before
their beta test, which was only a few weeks away."
If customers like your application’s benefits but
they say they can’t figure out how to operate the interface, use paper
prototypes to place your product’s functionality in sharp focus for them,
even
before you start coding.
Using Paper Prototypes to Manage
Risk
http://world.std.com/~uieweb/paper.htm
