Prototyping is the process of building a model or early working version of a product. A prototype is an original type, form, or instance of something serving as an example, basis or standard for other things of the same category.
Advantages
- Reduces development time and costs
- Requires user involvement
- Gives developers quantifiable feedback
- Facilitates device implementation because users know what to expect
- Results in higher user satisfaction
- Reveals potential future device enhancements
Disadvantages
- May lead to insufficient analysis
- Lets users expect the performance of the final device to equal the prototype
- Developers can become too attached to their prototypes
- May cause devices to be left unfinished or implemented before they are ready
- Sometimes leads to incomplete documentation
- May require too much time