Top 8 Benefits of Creating Interactive Prototype Prior Product Development

According to experts, startups or businesses looking to build their product, must not primarily leap into the product development stage. Yes, you heard it right, beforehand they should create an interactive prototype. Why?

Prototypes are one of the best ways to witness your product vision arouse tangibly. Users interact with it and emerge with its usability issues (if any) that you might have skipped on paper. This prior feedback (before the coding phase) saves you money and time by erecting the problems before you start with your high-priced coding. This collaborative approach surely leads you to a seamless development process. 

Well, there’s much more to learn about interactive prototypes to lead to a flawless product development that can meet your user’s needs, validating concepts, and improving communication and collaboration. 

This blog post will help you with every detail you should know, like the difference between wireframes and interactive prototypes as most still have confusion between these, the top benefits of interactive prototype design services for products, how a UI/UX design company can help you with high-fidelity prototype, etc. 

Let’s get the ball rolling!

What is an Interactive Prototype?

An interactive prototype is a product’s dynamic representation that reflects its aesthetics, workflow, and functionalities. The users interact with these prototypes to address usability issues, before the comprehensive development. Besides, interactive prototypes create the experience of the final product by responding to user engagement, such as scrolls, taps/clicks, swipes, etc. 

Also, in web and mobile application development, interactive prototypes help users identify and erect design issues before moving ahead with coding. This avoids redesigning and redeveloping needs that may arise because of unresolved problems that were missed in the pre-development phase. 

Prototypes appear as a helping hand for developers that facilitate them to visualize their app’s flow and interface to locate design flaws and inconsistencies. This way, users can learn about the task flow and purpose of usage. 

Wireframes vs Interactive Prototypes

In the design phase, wireframes and prototypes, both are essential steps that you should understand to make your design process go smoothly. 

Wireframes, the blueprint stage of your digital product that comes first aiming at the layout and structure giving a visual reality to your ideas. 

On the other edge, prototypes give life to the designs. It opens up the product in a way where one can see the entire work. They are interactive, precise, and too close to a tangible final product. 

Maybe you are getting these two akin to each other, but do you know what, both are extremely different. How?

Let’s discuss this below considering a few parameters. 

1. Purpose

Wireframes: These are perfect for defining the basic structure and user flow initially in the design process. They test the concept, accumulate initial feedback on product usability, and create its logical hierarchy. 

Prototypes: These models refine product design, test user interactions, and collect feedback on user experience. These give an actual sense of the final product’s feel and functionality.  

2. Fidelity

Wireframes: These are low-fidelity representations that you can think of as blueprints aiming at functionality and layout. Usually, they use greyscales and basic shapes to keep the visual clutter away. 

Prototypes: These are mid- to high-fidelity representations that include visual design elements like fonts, colors, and basic graphics. Prototypes enable the users to interact with the product’s core functionalities, emerging with a more realistic experience. 

3. Functionality

Wireframes: The functionality of wireframes is static and reveals the complete structure and information hierarchy with missing interactivity. Users can’t navigate through the screens or click buttons. 

Interactive Prototypes: These have dynamic functionality with which users interact using elements, like menus, forms, and buttons, replicating the product’s real user experience. 

Here’s a table with more precise differentiation between wireframes and prototypes. 

Feature	Wireframes	Interactive Prototypes
Fidelity	Low-fidelity (basic shapes)	Medium-fidelity (more detailed visuals, and content)
Development Time	Developed quickly	Take time to create
Purpose	Communicate the product’s core layout and functionality	Test user experience, accumulate feedback, refine design
Interaction	Static (users can’t click elements)	Interactive (clickable, navigable, provide experience, user flow)
User Feedback	Limited feedback on usability	Better feedback on user flow and interaction
Cost	Lower cost	Higher cost
Example	Outline of a webpage with boxes showcasing content areas	Clickable mockup of a login screen with buttons and form fields.

In the design process, wireframes and interactive prototypes are useful tools that serve distinctive purposes at different stages. One must consider crafting both for a smooth development process ahead.

8 Benefits of Creating Interactive Prototypes for Web and Mobile Apps

Until now, we were just stating that it’s helpful to create interactive prototypes for apps and websites. Now, we’ll discuss how these are beneficial in detail below:

1.  User Feedback Early in the Process

Before the development phase where you write your product’s code, interactive prototypes let the users interact with your design. This allows the accumulation of valuable user feedback, giving you a chance to locate and fix the usability issues before investing in development resources. 

2. Cost-Effective Iterations

Obviously, it’s economical and faster to modify an interactive prototype than change code in a comprehensive website or app. Interactive prototypes and design services facilitate easy improvements in the design phase based on user feedback that diminishes the costly rework in the development phase. 

3. Visualizing Concepts

Prototypes are best at converting ideas into real products. Users get a clear picture of the final product’s look and functionality by interacting with its user flow and core functionalities. This validates your product’s initial concept and addresses potential roadblocks (if any). 

4. Reducing Miscommunication

Acting as a common reference point between the stakeholders, designers, and developers, interactive prototypes let everyone witness the core functionalities of the product directly, allowing clear communication to let everyone agree with the same decision throughout the development process. 

5. Streamlining Development Workflow

In the early stage through usability testing of prototypes, the users identify and fix usability issues that make the development workflow seamless. This way, developers aim at coding a user-tested and well-defined design, avoiding the need for rework and any sort of delays later. 

6. Enhanced User Experience Testing

With prototypes, users can interact with the product’s design, navigate through different screens, and offer feedback on the complete user experience. This ensures you surface with a user-friendly, intuitive final product that meets user requirements. 

7. Quick Visualization of Ideas

As interactive prototypes give a wide way for converting static design ideas into reality, users can interact with these prototypes to foster a clear understanding of the app or web user flow and functionalities. This way you can witness your ideas’ early visualization, facilitating rapid identification of possible issues and allowing rapid iteration. 

8. Securing Stakeholder Buy-In

Acting as a robust communication tool, an interactive prototype lets the investors or clients have experience with an app or website. This tangible experience reveals the product’s user experience, capabilities, and value proposition leading to secured buy-in. 

We hope this section clearly voted for the advantages of creating interactive prototypes before moving on to the development phase. 

Tools For Designing the Best Interactive Prototype

Well, picking the right prototyping tool for interactive prototypes design services for Mobile Apps or websites depends on varied factors, like your budget, expected fidelity level (low or high), and the project’s complexity. 

1. Figma

A robust cloud-based tool, Figma with a user-friendly interface suits the best for designing basic and complex prototypes. It arrives with powerful design features, real-time collaboration for your teams, and animation capabilities. 

2. InVision

One of the popular choices for interactive, high-fidelity prototype creation with advanced features, such as user testing tools and micro-interactions, InVision crafts polished prototypes that replicate the final product. 

3. Adobe XD

Belongs to the Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe XD seamlessly integrates with other products (Adobe’s), such as Illustrator and Photoshop, and provides a complete set of prototyping tools that are usually picked for crafting interactive animations and experiences. 

4. Sketch

Primarily a perfect design tool, Sketch can be strengthened by integrating with plugins, such as InVision or Anima to craft interactive prototypes. This option is perfect for creative designers who find it easy to work with Sketch and seek to append basic interactivity to their prototypes. 

5. Proto.io

This is a web-based tool widely known for its vast library of pre-built UI assets and components. Proto.io facilitates designers to rapidly prototype and is best for projects demanding an extensive range of interactive elements. 

These are some of the widely-picked tools designers prefer to build interactive prototypes.

What are the Artifacts Involved in the Interactive Prototype Phase?

Well, a plethora of artifacts are involved in the interactive prototype phase. We will discuss some key artifacts below. 

1. Requirement Analysis

Before creating an interactive prototype, the designers analyze your specific requirements, where the key stakeholders and end users are identified, and specific needs are noted, categorized, interpreted, and recorded. Ultimately, the system’s specifications are defined. 

2. Screen Flow

A network of frames and their connection on a single page is decided. A sequence of user screens is outlined as the way users navigate between them. Altogether a user’s journey is shown all through the app or website.

3. Finalization of High-level Requirements

Before interactive prototyping, the broad features, objectives, and anticipated outcomes of the project are sketched for the ultimate project’s success. 

4. Architectural Feasibility

In relevance to interactive prototype designing, the project’s architectural feasibility is checked, like suitable technology stack, platform compatibility, design complexity, and more. Here, the aim is to bridge the gap between design and development ensuring the prototype’s vision adheres to technical specifications of final product development. 

5. Graphics Design

In this, the designer creates a clear, fully functional, and engaging user experience through graphic design. It eases communication of core functionalities, guides a visual direction, and finally contributes to a successful design process. 

6. Finalization of Low-Level Requirements

After interactive prototyping, user feedback is analyzed including feature requests, usability issues, and refinement of existing features. Ahead, feedback is translated into actionable details where UI elements are defined, detailed user flows are created, and data validation rules are defined. This ensures the development of a fully functional product meets the specific expectations and needs of the target audience. 

7. Design Review Meetings

This is one of the critical parts of interactive prototyping where stakeholders are brought together to evaluate the prototype, address improvement areas, and ensure the final product (app or website) resonates with user requirements and project objectives. This way, you can make the best out of the team’s expertise in refining the interactive prototypes and lead to a successful final product. 

8. Look & Feel and Theme Selection

Considering the basic aspects of enhancing the user experience, here you undergo the perfect theme selection for the anticipated look and feel of the product. The designers go ahead with the aesthetics and emerge with visually appealing and intuitive prototypes that can communicate effectively your concept or brand. 

9. Competitive Product Analysis

In this, you conduct market research, scrutinize your competitors, gather details, analyze their features and functionalities, evaluate their user experience, and identify opportunities. Ahead, using the entire knowledge, you can create a user-centered and better interactive prototype.  

10. Creating Brand Guidelines

For interactive prototypes, and brand guidelines, a detailed document aims at core elements that influence the user experience. This ensures a fully functional prototype that effectively conveys your brand identity. 

So, while you opt for designing interactive prototypes, and ensure keeping in view the above artifacts to outstand with a high-fidelity outcome.

Why Do Clients Choose Us For Interactive Prototyping Design Services?

While choosing a  UI UX design company for interactive prototype design services for web or mobile apps, you should keep in view some compelling reasons. 

Let’s check out the key highlights to consider to emerge with a reliable interactive prototype company for your product. 

• User-Centered Approach
• Knowledgeable and Experienced in Interactive Features
• Clear Communication and Collaboration
• Proven Track Record
• High-quality interactive prototypes
• Cost-effective Services

PixelBrainy is one of the top UI/UX design companies that reflects such factors and you can hire prototype designers from the firm to meet your requirements for interactive prototyping design services. 

Connect now to get the right and expected assistance!

Conclusion

Prototypes focus on safeguarding your products from risks. By allowing users to test them in the early stages, you can improve your product’s concept, prioritize features, and stay confident about developing something per the user’s expectations. This is a cost-effective way to validate your product idea before investing high costs for development. 

To create high-fidelity prototypes for your product, you should hire prototype designers from a leading interactive prototype company. Ask for anticipated prototype design services that can drive the required crowdfunding to give a real touch to your idea. 

Choose interactive prototype and design services for your upcoming project from a leading interactive prototype company now! 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an interactive prototype?

An interactive prototype is a mockup or representation of a product that allows users to interact with it as they would with the final product. It typically includes clickable components and basic functionality to simulate user experience.

How does an interactive prototype improve communication?

Interactive prototypes provide a tangible visualization of the product idea, making it easier to communicate and gather feedback from stakeholders, developers, and designers.

Can interactive prototypes save costs in product development?

Yes, identifying and addressing usability issues early in the design phase through interactive prototypes can significantly reduce development costs associated with major design changes later on.

What role does testing play with interactive prototypes?

Testing with interactive prototypes helps uncover usability issues, validate design decisions, and iterate quickly based on user feedback, ultimately leading to a more refined end product.