Digital Prototyping
I decided to read a section under chapter 13 of “A Project Guide to UX Design”. This section was all about digital prototyping, and I thought it’d be a useful read before I properly begin my project prototype.
The chapter speaks about using your wireframes to refer to when making the prototype, which is a practice I use with every project. It also mentions using design assets if you have any available. Since this website is being built using my own branding and style, I don’t have to follow the style or assets of another brand, however I will be keeping my own consistent.
Whilst wireframes can be good in showing the audience that the project is still a WIP, and not the final outcome – prototypes are more useful for realistically representing the final system.
When creating a prototype, you should think about:
- Who you are building it for, and why
- What resources, tools, and skills you have available
- What your timeline looks like
I know I am building this prototype and website for those with access to a desktop computer, as well as having an interest in the Apollo 11 mission.
As for my tools, I am using Figma because I know how to use it well, and create a good working prototype with it.
I have plenty of time available to me to design this prototype, so I will be able to design it with animations and interactions involved.
Thoughts:
I thought this was quite an interesting read, and I am glad that I looked through it before beginning to prototype my project. The book also spoke about HTML prototyping, which would have been really useful if I were using HTML rather than Figma. Luckily, I don’t have to!
I always thought of wireframes as just another part of the process, and didn’t realise that sometimes they can be more useful than a prototype. I have used my wireframes as a “prototype” in the past, and asked people to “tap through” my sketches – just to make sure the buttons and navigation is clear. However, I had always kinda seen them as iterations to base the final prototype on, so I’m glad I read this information