Whatever item a person or company intends to produce, prototyping is a crucial step in the design process that cannot be overlooked. Why is prototyping important? There are several main reasons; test and evaluate the design, clarify production problems and costs, sell it to others, as well as clarify any patentable details.

Design evaluation and testing

Unfortunately, ideas and drawings for a design can sometimes be a long way from the real world in which the product will be used. By creating a prototype, it is possible to sit down with a real version of the product and determine which aspects are worthwhile and which parts need to be revised, changed or discarded. In the process, it is possible to find glaring omissions that, on paper, were not noticed.

Additionally, prototyping will allow the design team to not only evaluate, but also test the product before moving on to full production. Imagine ordering tens of thousands of units, only to find that one part is not as strong as it should be. If corporate giants can make mistakes, it’s even more important that smaller companies don’t forget the importance of prototyping before starting production.

Clarify production problems and costs

Once production starts, it is expensive and time consuming to change something. By prototyping before production starts, it is possible to take a look at the production process and see if some steps can be changed, combined or even eliminated, thus not only speeding up production, but keeping production costs down. real to minimum. Subsequently, if there are difficulties in production or perhaps processes that can create problems for the final product, it is much better to see them before production begins. It can also help the design team determine the optimal production method; injection molding, silicone molds, die casting, metal stamping, machine shops, etc.

Sell ​​the product to others

Just as it is much easier to see if there is a problem with a design when holding a real working model, it is also much easier to sell to potential clients when they have a prototype to hold and manipulate in a marketing presentation. Without a prototype, it’s just a concept, and it can be difficult to get a department store chain to commit to buying a concept. With a prototype in hand, the concept instantly becomes real and it is much easier to sign a purchase order.

In addition, the customer must also be considered during the prototype phase. No matter how good designers and testers think a prototype can be, actual consumers may not like certain aspects of it. If the end customer doesn’t like it, they won’t buy it, which is why focus groups and external testing with prototypes need to be addressed before production starts.

Patents

If a product is new or unique enough, patents should be considered. There is no use designing and manufacturing a great product only to have another company start producing a remarkably similar product because the original company failed to patent key aspects of the design. By having a working prototype, it is much easier to sit down with a patent attorney and see what aspect of the design can be patentable. On the reverse, it is possible to see which parts of the prototype and design violate other people’s patents and how they can be changed before production begins and the possibility of a lawsuit begins.

For more information, check out this great resource for prototyping.