Accelerating Design and Innovation
At Mikado, rapid prototyping is an integral part of our design process, enabling us to quickly translate ideas into tangible, testable solutions. In the fast-paced digital landscape, time-to-market is crucial, and rapid prototyping allows us to deliver user-centered designs faster while ensuring that concepts are validated early in the design process.
What is Rapid Prototyping?
Rapid prototyping refers to the process of creating early, low-fidelity models of a product or feature that can be tested and iterated on quickly. Unlike traditional design processes, which can be time-consuming and resource-heavy, rapid prototyping focuses on speed and flexibility, allowing designers to test ideas in real-time and make adjustments based on user feedback before the final product is built. These prototypes can range from paper sketches to interactive digital prototypes, depending on the stage of development.
The Process of Rapid Prototyping at Mikado
At Mikado, we follow an agile, iterative approach to rapid prototyping, focusing on user-centered design and continuous feedback loops. Our process includes
Ideation & Conceptualization
We start by brainstorming and conceptualizing different design solutions. During this stage, we collaborate with stakeholders, product owners, and users to identify key features and functions that need to be explored in the prototype.
Design & Build the Prototype
Once concepts are defined, we quickly move to designing the prototype. We use tools like Sketch, Figma, Adobe XD, or InVision to build digital prototypes, focusing on delivering a functional model that reflects the key interactions and flows
User Testing & Feedback
Prototypes are tested with real users, either in-person or remotely. We observe how users interact with the design, identify pain points, and gather qualitative and quantitative feedback. This is a crucial step to ensure that the design is meeting user expectations.
Iteration & Refinement
Based on the feedback gathered from testing, we refine and improve the prototype. The iteration process continues until the design is optimized for usability, performance, and overall user satisfaction
Final Design & Handoff
Once the prototype is tested and refined, we move to the final design stage. We provide developers with a fully-detailed design specification, ensuring that the final product accurately reflects the validated prototype.
Benefits of Rapid Prototyping for Your Business
Faster Time-to-Market
By identifying issues early, rapid prototyping reduces the need for costly revisions and ensures resources are spent efficiently.
Cost-Effective Design
For corporate websites, we focus on creating IA that presents information about services, case studies, and contact details in an organized, easily navigable format. This enhances the website's ability to serve as a marketing tool and a business asset.
User-Centered Solutions
With rapid prototyping, you can test your designs with real users from the start, ensuring that the final product aligns with user needs and behaviors.
Continuous Improvement
The iterative nature of rapid prototyping ensures that your product evolves based on continuous feedback, making it adaptable to changing requirements and insights.
At Mikado, rapid prototyping allows us to experiment, test, and iterate quickly, ensuring that the final product delivers exceptional user experiences. Whether it’s for web, mobile, or any other platform, our rapid prototyping approach helps us create designs that are intuitive, functional, and innovative—paving the way for digital products that delight users and meet business goals.
Tools We Use for Rapid Prototyping
At Mikado, we use a variety of design tools and platforms to create rapid prototypes. Some of our go-to tools include:
Figma
Sketch
Adobe XD
InVision
Marvel App
Frequently
Asked Questions
The goal is to explore different design solutions, visualize concepts, and identify potential issues early in the process, all while minimizing resource investment.