Prototyping allows us to accurately test the usability of a design, the materiality, functionality, performance and, ultimately, the feasibility of a product. In this article we will explain what prototyping consists of, what its benefits are and the most common techniques that exist in the materials industry.
The company is the world’s best Aluminum Extrusion Prototype Testing supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
Industrial prototyping can be defined as the first step in making ideas tangible and materializing product design concepts. Prototyping is involved in problem solving, production efficiency, material feasibility, quality assurance and functionality.
The practice of validating ideas through physical prototyping will be a crucial step in the industrial process.
Designers will transition between conceptual design, 3D CAD modeling and prototyping to validate their ideas through different techniques such as rapid prototyping. This back and forth conversation between design and prototyping creates an iterative process where each part reveals new opportunities and problems to explore and refine.
Visualization is a significant part of prototype development and is also the basis for design discussion. During the idea generation stage and the initial expression of the design in a 2D sketch, prototypes will act as the object of discussion to ensure the refinement of your future creation.
In terms of design optimization, it is essential to reflect the idea from concept to reality and material. For this purpose, different engineering methods will be used to obtain the model, which will be refined as different techniques are applied. A good example is the automotive industry, which manufactures full-scale prototypes in clay modeling. They then scan it and obtain the design on which to work on efficiency and prototyping.
The purpose of prototyping is to test it, collect feedback, and improve it before manufacturing the new product.
Therefore, it is necessary to build accurate and functional presentation models to be tested for ergonomic evaluation, dimensional tolerances, form and function fit, or potential costs. This ensures that the product meets industry expectations and standards and, if not, can be modified.
Prototyping and low-volume manufacturing are key steps in the validation and consolidation of an industrial product. In this last phase, the proof-of-concept model will move from concept to high-quality engineering prototypes and pre-production samples, which will simulate the final product and guide mass production through a series of validation phases.
This will verify whether the design meets the expected product specifications and performance. To this end, basic functional tests, manufacturing processes, parametric performance measurements and verification of certification standards will be carried out.
The first benefit of prototyping is based on determining design and manufacturing problems. Early detection can prevent problems later in the production process, limiting waste costs and the reproduction of defective parts. In addition, prototyping helps us estimate needs and materials, as well as manufacturing time and personnel requirements.
In addition, prototype testing can help us answer many questions. For example, we can ask whether the product can be produced with existing machinery, what adaptations need to be made to manufacture it, or whether new machinery needs to be purchased. It will also help us to determine whether the materials used are durable and able to withstand wear and tear.
Choosing the right technique for prototyping is essential. From the creation of sketches or appearance models, to the generation of rapid prototyping models. The latter is the most used nowadays in the industry thanks to its speed, low cost and efficiency.
In short, prototypes are the key we need to get a great product design consistently. That’s why at Infinitia, we have the best strategic design and prototyping team that will be at the service of your project. Do not hesitate to contact us.
Apple and Microsoft haven’t always hit it out of the park with their product releases.
Microsoft’s Windows 8 was a user experience nightmare (and financial disaster), while Apple’s Newton certainly wasn’t the iPhone we received several years later.
So what went wrong?
A common oversight. In the rush of excitement to release new product features or the next big thing, designers, product managers, and upper management have a tendency to believe that the “build it and they will come” fallacy doesn’t apply to them. And in believing this, a critical opportunity is missed: product validation through user testing.
Facts trump opinions. User testing is a set of methodologies, practices, and tools that help UX designers discover problems early on in the product development lifecycle. Problem discovery can help avoid financial missteps and lead to improved product rollout.
User testing is performed at all stages of the design process, and the most impactful results are achieved using prototypes due to the immediate value given back to the design team. Much of that value is delivered via qualitative and quantitative feedback allowing designers to obtain a more balanced picture of what works and doesn’t work for users.
For more Extrusion Prototype Material Selectioninformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.
User testing is sometimes referred to as usability testing, but there is a distinction. User testing is an overarching term that includes usability testing. It asks questions such as, “Does the product fill a need?” or, “Does it solve a problem?”
Usability testing is distinct from user testing in a few ways. The goal of usability testing is to find out if a product performs to user expectations. Usability testing asks, “Can users use the product?” This is associated with heuristic analysis. Heuristic evaluations seek to identify common usability problems of user interfaces.
In both cases, prototypes and mockups can be used for testing; there are no rules that dictate when to use one or the other. However, with user testing in particular, prototypes are the preferred testing method.
There are two types of user tests that designers and user researchers can use:
Performing user tests with prototypes provides valuable feedback that designers can use early in the design process to avoid costly mistakes. A major benefit to prototypes is the ability to determine what users consider to be the product’s purpose.
For example, using a five-second test, users are shown a page or product feature for five seconds and then asked to describe it. This is a particularly relevant test given people’s time constraints and the need to understand in a short period of time what a product can or cannot do for them.
Here are a few more potential benefits prototypes offer when used for user testing:
Things were very different before the internet gave us the ability to perform user tests from anywhere, at any time. Generally attributed to sociologist Robert Merton in 1946, the genesis of user testing can be traced back to focus groups.
Merton was a pioneer in the area of group studies. He conducted noteworthy research on the effects of radio broadcasts, as well as army training and morale-boosting films. A few years later, several successful marketing campaigns from Chrysler, Ivory Soap, Barbie, and Betty Crocker were due in part to the golden age of the focus group.
Back then, focus groups and individual user testing had to be conducted in large rooms with expensive video and sound equipment, two-way mirrors, and specialized rooms called “usability labs.” Apple had one, so did IBM as well as many others.
By the end of the 1990s, focus groups had fallen out of favor. Broadband internet spread like wildfire, and researchers started to rely on video-based interactions for user testing. The rest, as they say, is history.
Nowadays, designers have a more robust toolset for user testing prototypes. Here are a few popular tools used at different stages of the design process:
User testing, unlike usability testing, typically seeks to validate the need for a product, and in doing so, forges a different path. We aren’t asking, “Can users use this product?” as with a test such as a heuristic evaluation. Designers and user researchers use methods such as online user testing and focus groups to find out if the product solves an actual problem.
User testing tools include the use of prototypes and some best practices such as how to craft great questions and dry run studies. (Credit: Unsplash)Here are a few best practices and tips for performing user tests:
Is it possible to avoid product disasters like Microsoft’s Windows 8 or Apple’s failed Newton? Yes—by ensuring that user testing is a part of design early in the process. To many, user testing and usability testing share no clear distinction, but it is important to understand their difference.
User testing validates the need for a product, while usability testing validates whether the product is usable. There are several useful tools that can be utilized to perform user testing, but the one thing in common is the use of prototypes as a mechanism for gathering feedback. User testing prototypes save time, money, and resources and will ultimately result in better, more successful products.
Are you interested in learning more about Rapid Tooling For Aerospace Components? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!