[IxDA Discuss] How do you define a prototype [was:What tools do you use for prototyping?]

[Matthew Nish-Lapidus]

That's all very true, and you make many great points.

However, a house made of candy shouldn't be used to test structural
stability under load.  Just as a paper "prototype" shouldn't be used
to test an interactive product.

I should caveat my opinion by saying that you could use papery to
prototype *certain aspects* of an interactive product.. but if you're
trying to build a complete prototype it will never be fully realized
without an interactive medium.

It's not really about the tools used, as much as the medium used.




On Nov 8, 2007 8:58 PM, pauric analoguisation <pauric at analoguisation.com> wrote:
> Thanks Matthew, leading on from that then, what if I facilitate that
> lost clickability in a usability test, does it become some sort of
> prototype again?
>
> Where is the line drawn?
>
> Yes,  this is a pointless theoretical semantic nomenclature debate, I
> guess what I'm getting at is that a 'document' should be defined by
> its audience not the tools used to create it.
>
> Its a huge 'it depends' on the context situation but in my mind its
> superbly fruitless to base definitions on construction.
>
> Its all about the use.
>
> A car made of wood is still a car
> http://www.tomstrongman.com/ClassicCars/JerryNickel/Index.htm
> A house made of candy, is still a house
> http://www.willcotton.com/paintingscans/candyhousezm.jpg
>
> etc etc...
>
>
> On Nov 8, 2007 8:47 PM, Matthew Nish-Lapidus <mattnl at gmail.com> wrote:
> > To answer the question (even though it was posed to Andrei :) ...
> >
> > I would say no,



-- 
Matt Nish-Lapidus
email/gtalk: mattnl at gmail.com
++
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mattnl
Home: http://www.nishlapidus.com