How to make a product prototype for your idea?

1. HOW TO MAKE A PRODUCT PROTOTYPE FOR YOUR IDEA?

2. Many entrepreneurs who are new to the startup circuit often wonder how to make a product prototype.   • Prototyping falls somewhere between the formulation and evaluation of an idea during your product lifecycle. • Many experts will give you different advice about how to make a product prototype. • Basically, the prototype for any a product is created as an early sample or a ‘raw’ version of an application in order to translate theoretical ideas into real specifications. • The process of building a product includes several steps to reach a final level of production that is  fit for consumption by the target audience.

4. No product turns out perfect on the first iteration. • A prototype also helps to to identify user pain points and provides a blueprint for improving the digital product based on user feedback. • Strategically as well, this is a great move. • Prototyping serves as a time-saving and cost-effective strategy to get feedback and make changes at an early stage before you have spent a ton of money on marketing the product.

5. If you are wondering how to make a prototype of your idea, consider the following steps: Review competing products • Every business has competitors that may already be selling similar products on the market while you are still at the conceptualization stage. • Many novice entrepreneurs see this as a disadvantage, but it can also be an advantage if you know how to harness your competitor research in a focussed manner. • If you can conduct strong competitive research and study the current market, you will be able to find ways to improve upon their products and add value-adding features to your products that your competitors may not even know about until your product hits the market and captures a portion of their customer base.

6. A word of caution here -  know your competitor’s products and be inspired by them but don’t copy their designs. • Imitation will not only put you at risk for litigation, customers will also dismiss you as a spin-off.  • Consider the competition but create your own original product!

7. Make a sketch of your product • Sketching down your ideas on paper can be a step forward to convert them into reality. • There may be a jumble of ideas and concepts inside your brain. Putting them down on paper helps you clearly define your product, its features and its ultimate purpose. • Also, by the time you on-board a designer, you already know exactly what you want, so you will be able to communicate it better. • Creating a prototype will require detailed work and precise descriptions.

8. Develop a rough virtual prototype • Once your ideas have been converted into design, you can start developing a tangible prototype. • This is where designer-developer collaboration is crucial. • If you have done a good job conveying your ideas, the designer has done a good job translating these ideas into designs, then the developers will be able to code the the product to your exact specifications.

9. Create a high-fidelity prototype • A physical prototype is a high-fidelity model of your final product. • This is similar to the first-cut version except, there are more features and tweaks to optimize user experience. • Such high-fidelity renditions carry a higher cost as well, so if you are bootstrapping, you need to really think long and hard about whether your product really needs a high-fidelity mock-up.

10. Thank You!