Today, a variety of solutions are available on the market — applications, systems, programs. So how do you stand out from the crowd? The price may not be enough, but the quality is. The matter is facilitated by optimal UX, UI, which help build user loyalty. Why pay attention to customer experience?
What is UX Prototyping?
One of the conditions that must be met when developing applications in the world of technology is a positive experience. In today's world, it is almost impossible to function without applications. Whether an application is able to stand out in the market is determined by the emotions of users and the experiences that accompany them when interacting with the product.
UX Prototyping/UI is designed to map an application that contains content, animations, and interactions. Thanks to this, you can introduce new functionalities to the customer or check how users are able to handle the new application. What is a UX prototype? it one of the most important elements, which allows you to quickly detect and fix errors even before the solution is deployed. It indicates areas that need to be improved and information on how future users would like to use the product.
What are the types of UX prototypes?
Paper Prototyping
It is worth starting prototyping with the simplest possible actions. This will save money and time. It is enough to take paper and pencil and sketch a preliminary idea. This is an excellent method for developing the first version of the product and its functionality.
Paper prototyping is the creation of a sketch of the concept of screens, taking into account of the most important elements.
In the process of prototyping of this type, it is necessary to assume what functionalities the application should have in order to constitute a coherent whole. The solution is the cheapest and fastest way to verify the validity of an idea and checking its usability and ease of use. At this stage, the visual aspects are not the most important. You should not focus on graphics or colors. The aim of paper prototyping is to present the functionality of the created application as soon as possible in order to determine the direction of further actions.
Low Fidelity Mockups
At the moment when you already know what the final product is supposed to look like, the paper concept should be transferred to the low complexity of the UX mockup. This is another step towards the final version of the product. This type of mockup is in the form of an interface, on which there are simple elements, arranged according to the plan, excluding the graphic layout. It presents functionalities and elements — but the final appearance is still not the most important here.
The mock-up can be presented using a static method — a specialist who knows the operation of the system can manually change the elements and check which version of the solution works best. Everything is to be used by the future recipient — it is therefore crucial to design the functionality in such a way that the operation of the system is not a problem for it.
High Fidelity Mockups
After creating the assumptions of the application, creating the outline of the construction and determining the operation — you can proceed to the creation of an interactive prototype, which is a representation of the final product. At this stage, the mockup contains selected graphics, colors, animation and fonts. It is also possible to test user paths and catch errors.
Of course — this is not yet the final version. Selecting User Paths must be thoughtful, simple for the recipient. This is a stage in which it is worth considering whether there are too many elements on the page and whether they do not introduce unnecessary confusion. The product is primarily intended to meet the functional, functional and business assumptions.
Is UX prototyping essential for your business?
The main advantage of prototyping is the ability to check the design of the interface by the customer before the final product is put into use. Already at the stage of creating outlines on paper, all elements can be quickly changed and adjusted in a way that will be consistent and thoughtful. Later, it is already more difficult - costly and time consuming. The UX design process is also needed from the perspective of developers. Thanks to this, they are able to quickly imagine the appearance and functionality of the product.
When does creating a UX prototype not make much sense? When applications are supposed to be very simple or when existing systems are only to be slightly modified. If the functionality of the product is optimal, and small elements only need refinement - creating mockups is unnecessary.
The Benefits of UX Prototyping
Prototyping UX is, above all, an indispensable help in creating a project visualization, but that's not all, of course. This allows you to check the correctness of business assumptions and compare the ideas of the entire system with the expectations that customers have for it.
In addition:
- this is a saving of time and money that would have to be invested in making subsequent modifications of the finished product,
- instant information from future customers who will use the final product,
- these activities help to plan the work as accurately as possible, determine the time needed to complete the order and quickly estimate the costs.
- Prototyping UX is a message for developers who can understand the essence of the system,
- is the ability to quickly find errors, which helps to reduce the number of corrections in the later stages of operation...
- ... as well as minimizing the risk of errors in general — and these errors can discourage future users from using the product.
6 mistakes your business is exposed to without UX prototyping
UX prototyping has many advantages. If you have doubts about whether to opt for this solution — check what can happen the moment you give it up:
- deviating from the prototype can make it difficult for designers to agree on the direction of action, and therefore in the future too much time may be spent on creating elements that lead in the wrong direction,
- Prototyping is an invaluable aid in the process of verifying ideas or finding problems that potential users may discover when using an application. In the later stages, this can be difficult, as well as — it can take too much time and cost,
- this element can also help designers - it is quick feedback from colleagues or the whole team,
- the lack of a prototype makes it difficult to present ideas and explain interactions in an intuitive way,
- running a business without prototyping applications and solutions is an obstacle to thinking about the details of the interaction. Therefore, finding an attractive, optimal way out is difficult,
- It is difficult to imagine how the developed solution works in a real product. It is much easier to do this at the moment when the initial version of a given application or system is developed.
If your company is engaged in the production of solutions for customers - pay attention to their experience. User satisfaction is the most important thing — if they lack it, they will find something else, something — that will attract them for longer. The right UX prototype is the perfect path to success.
