You don’t have to be an inventor to need a prototype. Many companies are in constant need of prototype parts on a day-to-day basis. Here are some thoughts on the things that make a good prototype.
Productivity
The reason most businesses need any type of prototype is to fill a need that an existing part or tool does not meet. Whether you are in the aerospace industry, an office setting, or even a theatre department, you need to get the job done. If your tools don’t allow you to meet the needs of your customers, you are bound to need a new model or sample to help you do what you need.
Efficiency
When working with a new design, it is important to you that it works efficiently. However, don’t become discouraged when the first few models don’t seem to work at all. That is quite normal.
Perhaps you don’t need a physical part, but a software program. You can imagine that developers will need time to make that program do what you need it to. It can take extra time to make software user-friendly, so be ready for quite a bit of trial and error.
Visual
After you get your new product to the point where it can do what you need it to, you can focus a bit on how it looks. Safety is also a factor in many industries that work with new ideas and machinery. Making sure your model is designed in such a way as to promote safe use is just as important as it being able to provide the result you want in your process.
If you are working with software, it is amazing how much different it can feel when different colors or formats are being used. Those things become integral to how the program is used and can make it a masterpiece rather than just a functioning entity.
Improvements
Unless you are creating something that has never been done before, you are likely hoping to improve upon something that currently exists. For example, many people have tried to build a better mousetrap. They want it to be efficient and do a better job than the last one. You may find that some models are able to do certain things better, while other things they do are lacking. Finding the balance is important.
When looking to improve your product or process, commissioning a prototype can be very helpful. Working through the initial bugs can help you identify where changes need to be made so that it works for you.
