How to Test Product-market Fit Using Software Prototypes

Software prototyping is a well-known term that is associated with a number of myths and misconceptions. This description of a software prototype is clear and removes any confusion about what a software prototype is and what it isn’t, so let’s get started.

Before moving on to the final product you have high-fidelity (HiFi) prototypes that accurately depict what it will seem like when it’s finished. With only a few small alterations, HiFi prototypes demonstrate the program in a way that is both apparent and useful to potential users. There is only one drawback to high-fidelity prototypes: longer development cycles, which means greater development expenses.

In the next step, you make low-fidelity prototypes (LoFi) that are just two-dimensional figures or charts. LoFi prototypes do the best they can to list and describe features in black and white rather than recreating the software’s functionality. These prototypes are meant to show other stakeholders how a particular feature of the application would benefit them, and so help them buy into the project’s goals.

However, the final product may or may not follow the same logic as a prototype based on how the program is developed. If you’re an entrepreneur starting a new product or business, prototype software should be complete enough so that you can show it off to customers, potential investors, and clients.

Purpose of a Software Prototyping

Software prototyping models can be used for a wide range of purposes, including:

Assess The Creation of New Apps

You can use software prototypes to assess the progress and direction of applications that are still in the early stages of development. Without requiring substantial additional resources, they illustrate incremental capabilities and the direction the final software product will be heading.  You should use them at every step of software development to keep tabs on the progress of your project and its direction (such as for an MVP, a first iteration, and so on).

Participation Of Third-party Parties, Such as Shareholders, Investors, Or Clients

Various stakeholders, investors, and customers are required to participate in some software development initiatives. It is particularly beneficial for third-party involvement when a prototype is used to show off in-progress software. A company’s ability to secure outside finance can be strengthened by the input of customers and other stakeholders.

Before Deadlines or Resources Run Out, Modifications Can Be Implemented

Any last-minute adjustments to the SRS (software requirement specifications) can be evaluated using the software prototype models as well. Checking if new needs can be met before deadlines or resources are spent is made easier by using models. Prototypes of software can also be used to verify the state of the software when all resources have been exhausted.

The Various Models of Software Prototyping

Software prototyping models can be categorized in four ways:

Rapid Prototyping

A prototype is often necessary for the software development life cycle (SDLC) for a variety of reasons, regardless of how little the source code changes may be. In order to meet such testing needs or to demonstrate tiny modifications, rapid prototyping is the best option. Rapid prototyping is most commonly employed in the agile development technique, in which small modifications are made and executed quickly during each sprint of the development process.

It becomes increasingly difficult to employ earlier prototypes as the software development process progresses. So rapid prototyping is also known as throwaway prototyping because each previous prototype is rendered inapplicable to the present state of development when used non this manner.

Evolutionary Prototyping

At the beginning of a project, software requirements might be ambiguous and require modest to substantial changes as the project progresses. Such situations call for the creation of evolutionary prototypes that only comprise features that are already known. Stakeholders will be able to help define and refine previously undefined criteria once the evolutionary prototype is displayed.

As new requirements are introduced, evolutionary prototyping uses an interactive approach to apply external feedback, identify the new requirements, and check their compatibility. This approach is comparable to a minimal viable product or MVP, but rather than starting with the most basic functionality, the development process begins with those elements that are clearly defined.

Incremental Prototyping

Because enterprise systems are often modular and require major integrations, incremental prototyping is the only viable strategy for enterprise software. Multiple, smaller prototypes are created for each feature of the full software solution in this sort of prototyping. Prototypes are assembled into a single large prototype that symbolizes the actual software when all of them have been developed.

The fact that all developers and development must be synchronized is a significant differentiator in incremental prototyping. Other than that, each smaller prototype may appear to be part of an entirely other computer-software product, and the final result may appear disconnected.

Extreme Prototyping

In web development, there are three steps to extreme prototyping, the most essential of which is the second stage. The presentation layer or user interface and service layers – communication, business logic, and authorization – are critical to these levels.

Extreme prototyping has three stages:

• Start by putting together an HTML construct that represents the presentation layer.
• By linking the prototype to the service layers, you may make it completely functioning.
• Service layers must be implemented at this point in order to complete the production.

Choosing the Right Software Prototyping Model

In spite of the information provided, you may still have difficulty deciding on the best model for your needs. A basic, straightforward website can use extreme prototyping, but a large business software application must use incremental prototyping.

You can also use rapid prototyping, evolutionary prototyping, or extreme prototyping to generate full-fledged solutions if you like. Even if the software development project is vast and complex, incremental prototyping can be used to keep things manageable. A different approach would be to use quick prototyping when working with an agile methodology, which divides software development into multiple sprints.

There are times when evolutionary prototyping is useful, but only when the software requirements aren’t clear or aren’t clear enough.

Steps To Create a Highly Effective Prototyping Model

To create a highly efficient prototype, a company or entrepreneur can follow these steps:

Define All of The Essential Features

The entrepreneur must begin by specifying all of the software’s major feature needs. There is no limit on how far he or she can dig into the most critical features essential for the product to function. Secondary functionality like software security, settings, and a user-friendly interface can be introduced at a later date.

Make the First Interface

An easy-to-use interface is created to highlight the features of the software once the criteria are established. While it may not be fully functional, the initial prototype attempts to address important issues and provide a framework similar to that of a user interface.

Do Some Testing After You’ve Finished Configuring the Interface?

Create a variety of views of the interface when it has been set up. All stakeholders should be shown the new features and functionalities to ensure the project is moving on the right path. Your prototype should be inspected by actual users who may point out missing features and assist you in improving them. The cost and time of gathering early adopter feedback can be prohibitive in the case of incremental prototypes, so you may wish to skip it altogether.

Improvements Made Based on Feedback from Stakeholders and Testers

Prototypes that accurately exhibit targeted application functionality should be built by iterating on what you’ve learned from stakeholders and testers. For public demonstrations and product development, the final prototype must also be sound and capable.

Conclusion

An entrepreneur at any level can make a software prototype model to show or test how their idealized product would work in real life. To satisfy investors and speed up the time to market, prototypes can also illustrate the software’s actual functionality, which can help speed up development time. Finding the correct prototype for your project is crucial. Other options for entrepreneurs and business owners include MVPs (minimum viable product) and proof of concept (POC). Prototyping software development companies that also generate MVPs and POCs may potentially be an option to save total costs.

Originally published here.

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