Prototyping

Organizations routinely use prototypes to embody and test ideas that they hope to develop into successful products and services. Traditionally, prototyping activities have been focused on physical product development. Recently, low fidelity prototyping has emerged as a way to quickly understand and support the development of interactive products. Experiential prototyping has emerged as a way to understand the nature of someone's experience as new technologies or services are introduced.

Prototyping is clearly a useful activity, yet it remains steeped in a craft tradition. Little is understood specifically about how prototypes work. In fact, the use of prototypes is so common that studying them seems odd to the community of practitioners.