Game prototyping is the secret weapon that separates successful titles from costly failures. By testing core mechanics early, developers save time, money, and creative energy. From paper sketches to ...
Prototyping is the process of creating an interactive, testable model of a product to validate design concepts and gather user feedback before development. Take a look around your office, computer, and smartphone: most of the ingenious modern products you use daily started as humble prototypes.
Prototypes are early models of a product that simulate its design and functionality. They are created to test concepts, gather feedback, and iterate on the design before the final product is developed. Prototyping, on the other hand, is the experimental process of making prototypes.
In design thinking, prototyping is used to explore and validate ideas in a tangible way. It allows teams to quickly test concepts, learn from feedback, and iterate based on real-world insights. The beauty of prototyping in design thinking is its flexibility.
Prototyping is one of the most critical phases in the UX design process, yet it’s often misunderstood. This guide covers what prototypes are, the different types and fidelity levels, the prototyping process, and how modern tools are transforming the way teams prototype in 2026.
Prototyping is the process of creating an interactive, testable model of a product to validate design concepts and gather user feedback before development begins. Figma describes it as the bridge between a design idea and something real users can actually touch. The goal is to surface problems, align stakeholders, and reduce risk, all before a developer writes a single line of code.