Ever wondered why every successful business has built a Rapid Prototype of their software idea before building a Minimal Viable Product out of it. Here’s why?
Anything big or complicated you see being built, is based on many small efforts and different tiny parts that come together to give it a final prominent shape. Take an airplane for example. Can you imagine one without building a detailed blueprint and a visual schema prior to building it in its actual form and putting it through to the production facility.
Well, no question arises. Likewise, when you are building a software or a web or mobile application, it is equally necessary to first get and arrange all things in one place to take a preview and ascertain if the thought is being implemented right and the idea is moving in the right direction.
That is why, while you decide to initiate the project and you are in the process of building the roadmap, it is important to define the requirements and bring the functional prototype of the product on papers. Not doing that, increases your chances of risk and failure. Also, this could cost you high as you may need to rework on your project to set it right.
Getting started with Rapid App Prototyping
Here, the best way to do it as recommended by experts is through Rapid Prototyping. Now, what is that?
When you take up to build a quick full-scale, finely detailed and descriptive model of an MVP or an application product it is called Rapid Prototyping. This is to allow a comprehensive pre-defined idea of how the product would look like when it is built. This comes handy to design and aids in building the product right and take it to a likely execution by planning and applying changes and tweaks in the wireframe or specimen itself in advance. This avoids going bad or erroneous with the final design and saves a lot of efforts and keeps quality greatly in control. Also, as it is approached in a rapid manner the work is kept straight and compact and the prototypes are just built on a draft level to achieve and communicate a comprehensive basic idea of the product without adding to the time and effort of application development.
The main advantages of Rapid Prototyping
Rapid Prototyping is an inevitable part of modern app development processes and it is kept on priority by all progressive planners and informed development units. Here are some of the major advantages that you get to put up with going with Rapid Prototyping:
1. You can validate your idea up early in the process and avoid any goof-ups later on. This allows you to approach the product well and execute it right.
2. Get to ascertain and clarify the project requirements and be prepared to diagnose and combat possible risks and challenges. So that you don’t have to implement any changes into the process doing too much of back and forth.
3. As you build the prototype you can circulate it to a closed group of users and take their opinion on the idea so that you can take steps accordingly and make changes to your plan before actually rolling it out.
4. You can test if the UI and UX of the app are good to go with or not. This is because you get to know how the app communication flows and interfaces with the user and how it combines with the UI elements like CTAs, functional components and events, to preview and visualize how it would look and feel eventually.
5. You get the clarity of the vision, that plays a pivotal role in driving the whole process of development. This vitally helps in optimizing the time and quality of development and help you save on cost.
6. When you are ready with your concept and everything is illustrated well with the help of your product prototype, you get the power to demonstrate and communicate the potential of your software product. Also, this helps you to pitch your idea to investors and VCs, so that you have the initial capital procured for your venture.
When is it the right time to build a prototype?
Building a prototype is always a time-dependent practice and it should only take place when the right time arrives. Now, when is that right time? What order it should follow? And how it should be placed in your product timeline to grab the best results out of it? How do you know.
Well, if you ask this question taking a general case and assuming a regular need, it should ideally start when you have worked on functional requirements and have the clarity of what all functionalities and features you would like to go with. Also, this should be well accompanied by the UI/UX part of the solution that is being worked in parallel so that the functional entity meets the design perspective and communication aspect of the product and allows a good degree of validity and viability to build an MVP there further. Here, this should be completed well before you are planning to get your product tested at the initial level and of course before you have to pitch it to an investor.
Final Word
These cumulatively come up as a good enough reason to why you should be planning to go with Rapid App Prototyping to well attend your product idea and build a competent solution out of it. No matter, whether you are looking to build a complicated or a simple product, whether it is a large-scale application or an auxiliary solution, it’s always suggested to go with Rapid Prototyping to get the MVP built right and in time.
To have the best prototyping and app development solutions for your app idea you can visit ITFirms and connect with best app development companies from different parts of the world.