For many people the word prototype refers to the original or model on which something is based or formed. This erroneously implies that only one prototype is needed. Do you have to have more than one prototype? No. But through the development process, each prototype iteration brings with it new improvements and enhancements to the design. From the development point of view, the more prototypes created during the process, the more refined the finished product will be. From the business or finance point of view, each prototype iteration is very expensive and it delays the launch date. Some prototypes have nothing to do with the development process. They are needed to capture interest and raise capital for the project.
Before commissioning a prototype, be certain of what you intend to do with it. Then assure the person or company making the prototype also has the same understanding of the intended purpose. Many times people pay for features or aesthetics not required for the intended purpose. Worse, the prototype itself is completely useless for your needs.
Before deciding on the level of prototype, first determine where your project is along the timeline. I prefer to break it down into ‘Proof of Concept’, ‘Concept Durability’, ‘Pre-Production, and ‘Launch’. Proof of Concept is for completely new ideas based on unproven concepts. For instance, my son recently had an idea for a popcorn bowl that keeps the popcorn warm. To be marketable, one approach would be to microwave the bowl and have it retain heat for the average time it takes to eat a bowl of popcorn. The Proof of Concept phase for this would be in identifying a material that safely heats in a microwave, doesn’t get hot spots, and keeps the popcorn warm without burning the person holding it. The very first prototype for this product could be as simple as sheets of potential materials that could be tested in a microwave. They don’t even have to be bowl shaped at this time.
The second phase or Concept Durability would require a bowl shaped piece of the best materials identified in the Proof of Concept phase. Here the goal of the prototypes is to ascertain that the bowl will last a reasonable amount of time for the intended use. What is the useful life expectancy for a warming popcorn bowl? That’s a marketing question but the prototype at this phase would need to be suitable for testing. Before committing significant dollars to production tooling, you want to test some small number of bowls to see just how many microwave cycles they will survive.
So where is your idea at on the development timeline? Is it base on existing concepts so you can go straight to durability testing? Do you need the aesthetically perfect model to pass around while you pitch your idea to investors? Whatever your needs, be sure what you are paying for will serve the purpose.
