8 Ultimate Advantages of Creating A Product Prototype
You’ve got a great idea for a new product! The research shows a real need for it, and you're chomping at the bit to get things underway and get it straight to market. However, successful product development first requires the important step of creating a working prototype.
Having a prototype of a physical product in your hands can reveal things that the initial concept or design doesn’t. What’s the actual experience of using it? Does it function as it should? Does anything point to potential design flaws, or issues with manufacturing or materials? Understanding these things sooner in the development process rather than later will save you money, time, and headaches at every stage.
Enki’s product design service can create a world-class prototype to show to both investors and potential customers. That kind of real-world feedback is priceless. Adding the creation of a prototype to the development timeline can make the difference between a seamless launch to market and costly delays.
We’ve taken many kinds of products from the idea stage to a successful launch into the marketplace; the prototype is the thing that makes a huge difference between a big win and a mediocre result.
1. Visualizes the Concept
Creating a prototype enables designers to engage with the product concept in a tangible form. This can be very revealing and offer opportunities for improvements, whether in the materials envisioned, the texture, color, or, most importantly, the overall functionality and user experience.
This is a step beyond a mere sketch; it’s where the rubber meets the road. The prototype stage offers opportunities for refinements and adjustments of all kinds. It can also offer a chance to spot potential upgrade opportunities for now or in the future.
2. Early Problem Detection
One of the key advantages of the prototyping process is that it reveals design flaws and potential problems early on in the process. Those problems may stem from the actual functionality or from user feedback gathered during the research and marketing stages. Being able to make these changes before entering into costly, full-scale production can keep the product development process on track and prevent blowing big holes in your budget.
3. Cost Savings
The prototyping process can reveal ways to save money during various manufacturing processes. From changing the materials that will be used to functionality, to improvements during the mass production stage, constructing the prototype often proves to be a game-changer.
As a product design agency, Enki offers a variety of prototyping tools, from 3-D printing that creates a physical model to an interactive digital version. We’re happy to walk you through which of our prototyping methods would be best suited to the prototyping phase of your project.
4. Feedback-Driven Product Iteration
One of the eight key advantages of creating a prototype is that it allows you to gather in-depth feedback during each stage of the development process. That can help refine both the overall concept and the product itself. Along the way, this iterative process often reveals opportunities to create different or better versions of the product for launch in the future.
Based on what’s being revealed by the prototype during testing or market research, the design process becomes a little bit fluid. This ensures the creation of a quality product that will best address a market need without having to start at Square One.
5. Improved Communication
Having a prototype enables designers and other stakeholders to “be on the same page” throughout the design and development process. It serves as a tangible reminder of what the finished product should be. For industrial designers, the prototype makes communicating about things like correcting potential design flaws much easier and more efficient.
A quality prototype offers significant advantages when demonstrating or explaining the final product to potential customers. This results in more detailed feedback, which is essential for successful marketing efforts.
When it comes to presenting to investors, the prototype can do much of the talking for you; it can be far more persuasive than just pitching a concept alone. They get concrete insight into the particular need that the product fills and exactly how it solves the problem.
6. Increases Investor and Customer Confidence
A well-designed prototype of a new product shows that you’ve thought through all the ins and outs of materials, manufacturing, performance, market appeal, and more. It’s proof of concept, a tangible representation of the diligent problem-solving process behind the development of the final product. That shows investors and customers alike that you’ve gone the extra mile to “get it right” before committing resources to manufacturing the finished product.
For investors, creating prototypes is a step that demonstrates a commitment to the concept, trustworthiness, and fiscal responsibility.
7. Validates Manufacturing Feasibility
The process of creating and refining prototypes reveals the best, most cost-effective, and efficient ways in which the final product can be manufactured. What options exist to address a tricky function? Perhaps a different material can be used? Maybe it can be built via 3D printing or laser cutting, versus a traditional factory method? Today’s advanced prototyping methods can offer fresh insights about the manufacturing process when the final product is ready to go.
8. Accelerates Time to Market
You might think that taking the time to create and refine a prototype just delays getting the finished product to market; in fact, it’s the exact opposite!
The prototype reveals things like potential issues with materials or functionality that, if not caught early on, will grind production to a halt until they’re resolved.
A prototype helps all members of the design and development team communicate clearly with each other along the timeline, keeping their eyes and efforts on the desired end result.
Having a functioning prototype is essential to effective market research. Potential customers use it to provide quality feedback; this can be used to make further improvements before the product launch, or even inspire additional features. Having these issues addressed before entering the market gives you a much greater chance of success.
Enki is a product design agency with years of experience in getting new products successfully to market in the most transparent, efficient way possible. We know firsthand that adding the creation of a prototype to the development timeline is a smart investment that ensures a successful product launch.
Final Words
An experienced designer will tell you that, when it comes to developing a new product, the process of creating and refining a prototype makes all the difference in getting that product to market effectively.
Some of the most important aspects of a successful product launch require experiencing the concept in some kind of tangible form. Seeing it in action exposes potential design issues and problems with functionality that can be corrected before the (expensive) production stage.
A prototype is a visual representation of the end goal and helps every team member stay focused and in sync on what’s being created. It allows for much clearer communication throughout the entire development process and keeps things on track. All of this not only saves time and headaches, but it can also reveal important cost-saving ideas, such as alternative materials or manufacturing options.
Having a prototype is a convincing tool for potential investors. You go beyond just a verbal presentation to one that gives them a real-world experience of the product. It also represents the time, thought, and commitment that you’ve put into creating it. That includes having worked through production, marketing, or design challenges to ensure they’re getting a sound investment.
Quality market research is a key to success; the prototype allows you to gather valuable information from potential users to determine your target market, shape your advertising, and more.
Keep in mind that creating a prototype isn’t the clunky, expensive, and time-consuming process it might’ve been years ago. Enki Product Development offers a range of prototyping services, ranging from 3D printing to laser cutting to interactive digital prototypes.
Let’s talk about the benefits of prototyping for your product, and how we can do it most cost-effectively!