Category — Rapid Paper Prototyping

Through prefab website elements (e.g. radio buttons, links, navigation items, controls etc.) interface designers can create clickable and animated web or software interfaces in no time. Without any programming skills, interface designers can focus on the web concept and use cases, site structures and the overall layout of the site, instead of getting lost in details that only matter at a later stage of the project.

When you are into interface design, Rapid Paper Prototyping is old school! But ever considered doing interface design on screen?

With pidoco’s web-based prototyping software, graphic designers and screen developers can save valuable time, enhance the creative process and build better usability for the internet.

Rapid Paper Prototyping has already been in the know for a while to get a website started. Rapid Paper Prototyping is about sketching ideas with pen an paper to be tossed around in the team. This basic screen concept will then be put through a refinement process by implementing feedback from different stake holders. This paper prototype will finally act as a roadmap for the whole project – from beginning to the end (but is there a real end?). Some screen-designers even use these very limited paper prototypes for running usability tests. Revealing usability issues in an early stage of development can save a lot of money, since later alterations in the so called ‘finished’ website are minimized.

Anyway, there are several drawbacks to Rapid Paper Prototyping.  Prototypes are difficult to add to the project documentation and also difficult to collaborate on in larger teams. Transforming paper sketches into interactive, digital documents for web testing is also a time consuming task as we all know!

That is why many screen designers create their prototypes directly in MS PowerPoint or InDesign and have them send to the relevant sources. True, that way one can share the data more effectively but it is not really more interactive than making copies of a piece of paper handing it to the team. The prototypes still do not show the real capabilities for test user excitement:  links, dynamic menus and work-flows etc. cannot be reproduced effectively and need to be explained individually in long paragraphs. Again, more time and effort has to be invested to get the message across.

A small company from Berlin, Germany has spotted this problem and made it their mission to tackle it by providing a simple web-based interface design software.

Our conclusion of Rapid Digital Prototyping: It’s got the look and feel of handmade scribble prototyping, but adds interactivity (making wireframes animated) and accelerates developing speed through re-usable elements and layers. Many (real-time) collaboration modules enable interface designers to new ways to work with higher efficiency, leaving more time for the creative process that really counts.

But even if screen designs have already been made in some hi-fi graphics software (e.g. Photoshop, pidoco° can add value to the work flows by bringing interactivity to static screens. Adding ‘click areas’ to the finished screenshots enhance the collaboration and interaction capabilities of a former static screenshot. Colleagues, clients and test users can now easily be integrated in the designs process and online discussions can be held. Just like web conferencing, but with real-time editing never seen before!

But even if screen designs have already been made in some hi-fi graphics software (e.g. Photoshop, pidoco° can add value to the process by bringing interactivity to static screens. Adding ‘click areas’ to the finished screenshots enhance the collaboration and interaction capabilities of a former static screenshot. Colleagues, clients and test users can now easily be integrated in the designs process and online discussions can be held. Just like web conferencing, but with real-time editing never seen before!

Everybody who is into interface design, Rapid Paper Prototyping is old school! But ever considered doing interface design on screen?

With pidoco’s web-based prototyping software, screen designers and web developers can save valuable time, optimize communication within the team and build better interfaces for the internet.

Rapid Paper Prototyping has already been in the know for a while to get a web-application started. Rapid Paper Prototyping is about sketching ideas with pen and paper to be shared and iterated within the team. This prototype will then go through an iterative design process by integrating feedback from clients, test users and colleagues. This paper prototype will at last act as a guideline for the whole project – from beginning to the end (but is there a real end?). Some web designers even use these basic sketches for performing usability tests. Revealing usability issues in an early stage of development can save a lot of time and budget, since later alterations in the so called ‘finished’ web application are minimized.

Anyway, there are several drawbacks to Rapid Paper Prototyping.  Paper prototypes are difficult to add to the project repository and also difficult to collaborate on over different locations. Transforming paper sketches into interactive, digital documents for getting the grip on how workflows are reproduced in the design is also a time consuming task as we all know!
That is why many interface designers create their wireframes directly in MS PowerPoint or InDesign and have them distributed to the relevant sources. True, that way one can share the screens more effectively but it is not really more interactive than copying a piece of paper handing it to the team. The Visio-type static wireframes still do not show the real capabilities for test user excitement:  links, dynamic menus and combo-boxes etc. cannot be reproduced effectively and need to be explained individually in long text. Again, more time and effort has to be invested to get the message across.

The fancy startup pidoco° has spotted this problem and made it their mission to tackle it by providing a fast web-based interface design software.

Through prefab screen elements (e.g. radio buttons, links, navigation items, controls etc.) information architects can create clickable and animated web or software interfaces within minutes. Without any programming skills, interface designers can focus on the web concept and use cases, site structures and the overall layout of the site, instead of getting lost in details that only matter at a later stage of the project.