Prototypes are models of products used for testing before production. Companies develop multiple prototypes to learn about manufacturing, usage, and potential issues. Prototypes start with a concept, and once successful, become the production standard. The term “prototype” originated in the 1600s. Prototypes are often clunky and frustrating, and companies keep them from reviewers to avoid negative impressions.
A prototype is a model of a product that is used for testing before a production run is ordered. Many companies run several prototypes when developing a new product, as they learn more about the manufacturing process, how people will use it, and how it can be broken. Typically, access to prototypes is limited to a very small number of people, as these early product designs are often extremely imperfect; in some cases, a limited version of a prototype may be released to beta testers, people who specialize in testing early versions of products and providing feedback.
Developing a prototype starts with developing a concept for the product. For example, a company might want to create an innovative mobile phone. Engineers and consultants work on design features, typically producing several cardboard and paper mockups to illustrate how the product will look and feel. Once the development team is given the green light, a single working prototype is created. This prototype is evaluated to determine how effective it is, and further prototypes may be developed with different characteristics as the design team responds to the feedback.
Once a successful prototype is developed, a company can use it as a model for full-scale production. A prototype forms the production standard for the company; typically it is disassembled so that parts can be accurately recorded for duplication, and it can be reassembled and stored as it represents a historical development for the parent company. Once a prototype enters mass production, a company can choose a limited run to test market response to the product before ordering it in large volumes.
The prototype concept predates the industrial age. As early as the 1600s, people referred to the earliest and earliest forms of things as “prototypes,” and the sense of “prototype” as a standard of comparison also developed around this time. The term comes from the Greek protos, which means “first” and typos, which means “impression”. In the 1600s, the “prototype” was often literally the first impression of a printing press, used by a printer to determine whether or not the ink and settings on the press were correct.
A common feature of many prototypes is that they’re clunky, slow, and sometimes frustrating versions of the products they’ll eventually turn into. When handling a prototype, it is helpful to remember that it is a working model and that substantial changes may be made before the product is released. Because prototypes can create a negative impression, most companies try to keep them out of the hands of reviewers, to ensure reviews are based on the actual product rather than faulty early incarnations.
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