Prototyping plays an important role in new product development. It makes testing ideas, getting feedback, and iterating on your design easier. But you cannot be too sure about prototyping as it comes with some challenges.
For successful product design, it’s important that the prototyping goes smoothly without any delays. No matter your experience, you can fall prey to basic prototyping mistakes.
But with a reliable company like Future Factory on your side, you can discuss possible problems with experts.
Besides prototyping consulting, this firm offers ethnography, market research, design thinking process, engineering design, digital design, technology application, and user interface design services.
Keep reading to know the possible prototyping mistakes during new product development:
#1 Overlooking Compliance Requirements
One of the biggest prototyping challenges is overlooking compliance requirements. If you plan to sell your products across the globe, this mistake can make you redesign the process.
Your initial prototyping results don’t have to be compliant, but your final industrial design must be. Sometimes, simple issues like not keeping a clear record of testing and manufacturing can eventually affect your product’s final design.
#2 Investing Too Much in Digital Design
It’s a common problem, mainly faced by inventors and entrepreneurs working on their first product. It even happens when a digital designer is passionate about a particular project.
Having passion is good, but investing too much into designing is not. Conduct a market research to make sure your passion does not interfere with prototyping. Being too invested and personal about your project can lead to costly mistakes.
#3 Waiting for Too Long
No matter whether the delay has occurred due to funding, issues from industrial designers, or choosing material, it can lead to the failure of your project. That’s because, for successful product design, the prototyping process needs to be smooth, without any redevelopment or delays.
#4 Forgetting Essential Testings
Once you have made a product prototype, it’s important to get it tested. After all, prototyping and ethnography isn’t just for your design team. You need to understand the design’s real-world application, which is impossible without testing and design thinking process.
Common testing for prototyping includes usability tests, compliance assessments, and more. If you don’t run any tests on your user interface design during the prototyping stage, you will have to restart the development as you will encounter a serious problem later.
#5 Focusing on Visuals
At the initial level of product prototyping, you must not focus on attaining visual accuracy. Product visuals matter, but when you reach a high-fidelity stage.
Instead of product aesthetics, focus on the features. Test the industrial design with your targeted users and note down how they react to it. Once your product design seems satisfactory, work on the visuals.
The basic idea is to fine-tune other details before polishing up the visual appeal through technology application.
#6 Choosing the Wrong Process
Wrong prototyping methods can never lead you to the right destination. Make sure the prototyping method you choose fits well with your product. Take your time to find the most appropriate prototyping process to offer better user experience.
Conclusion
Prototyping plays an essential role in product development. But despite your experience, you might make basic prototyping mistakes.
If you don’t want to do it, contact Future Factory. This agency offers different services, including design thinking process, user backwards, user experience, service design, digital design, and technology application.
