Prototyping
Building a simulated version of a product or flow — from paper to clickable to coded — in order to test an idea before committing to it.
Process & MethodsFidelity should match the question. To find out whether a flow makes sense, paper or grey boxes is enough and gets more honest feedback because nothing looks finished. To test whether people trust a payment screen, you need real copy, real numbers and real visual design, because trust is largely a function of the details you would otherwise leave out.
The value is in what you avoid building. A prototype that takes two days and kills a feature has paid for itself many times over. The rule that keeps it honest is that prototypes are disposable: the moment a prototype becomes the codebase, you have shipped throwaway decisions and can no longer change them cheaply.
In practice
A DeFi onboarding flow was prototyped clickable and tested with six users before build. Before: the planned flow asked users to fund a wallet at step two. After watching four of six abandon there, the flow moved funding to the end and let people explore with a read-only view first. The catch — read-only mode was extra engineering nobody had scoped.
Learn more
You may ask
Frequently Asked Questions
What fidelity should a prototype be?
The lowest that can answer your question. Structure and flow questions are answered by wireframe-level prototypes; questions about trust, comprehension of real data, or visual hierarchy need high fidelity.
Can a prototype become the product?
It should not. Prototypes cut corners deliberately — fake data, missing states, no error handling — and those shortcuts become permanent liabilities if the prototype is promoted to production instead of rebuilt.
Related terms
All terms- WireframingSketching the structure of a screen — what goes where, at what priority — deliberately without colour, type or imagery.
- MockupA static, high-fidelity representation of a screen showing final visual design — real colour, type, imagery and content — but without interactivity.
- Usability TestingWatching real users attempt real tasks in a product or prototype to find where they struggle, without steering them.
- Design SprintA time-boxed process, classically five days, that takes a team from a hard product question to a tested prototype without building anything.
Defined by Mara Last reviewed .
Let's talk about your product.
Happy to look at what you're building and say where design would move the needle.
Contact Us