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Prototype testing guide

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Prototype testing guide

    Types of prototypes

      When should you test your prototypes?

      1. Understanding prototype fidelity levels

      Exploring prototype testing methods

        How to test your prototypes

          Resourcesright arrowGuides

          When should you test your prototypes?

          Learn about the different levels of prototype fidelity and when to use low- and medium-fidelity prototypes for early-stage design testing, high-fidelity prototypes for final design validation, live data prototypes for real-life environment testing, and feasibility prototypes for assessing high-risk features or technologies.

          Prototype testing guide

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          Understanding prototype fidelity levels

          Deciding when to test your prototype depends on several factors, like time, budget, resources, and the product or feature you’re designing.

          The word prototype might suggest a model of the finished product, but in reality, they don’t need to be perfect. In fact, there are different levels of fidelity.

          If you’re in the early stages of the design process, you might create a low- or medium-fidelity prototype. If you’re nearer to the end of this process, you might opt for something with higher fidelity. Fidelity is the level of reality that your prototype has.

          Let’s explore these different levels of fidelity in more detail.

          Low- and medium-fidelity prototypes

          The earlier you can test your prototypes, the better. Low-fidelity prototype testing happens in the earlier stages of the design process with a paper or digital prototype. Use them to generate and share feedback and ideas with stakeholders so you can quickly iterate your designs.

          What are you testing at this stage?

          • Whether the layout makes sense to your users.

          • Experiments in your initial designs.

          • The information architecture.

          • Basic interactions with the design.

          As you take user feedback onboard and improve your design, retest new prototypes using a medium-fidelity prototype. At this stage, you can also add copy.

          Prototype testing guide - a photo of two desktop computers displaying a design for an mobile application.

          High-fidelity prototypes

          Once you’ve tested and taken in user feedback on your low- and medium-fidelity prototypes, you can move onto creating a high-fidelity prototype. 

          This is interactive and closely resembles the final product.

          At this stage, you shouldn’t expect huge problems to emerge. Use a high-fidelity prototype as a last step in your design testing process to validate your final design and uncover any hidden usability issues before handing over to the development team.

          What are you testing at this stage?

          • The overall design direction.

          • The copy, menu links, and information architecture.

          • User flows: Can users find their way when completing a task?

          • UI components, e.g. drop-down menus, pop-ups.

          • Graphic and visual elements, e.g. image quality, text readability.

          Live data prototypes

          A live data prototype uses data or APIs to create dynamic experiences. It’s much like the final product, so you might use it if you wanted to test software solutions in real-life environments and conditions.

          Building a live data prototype is more involved than a low- or high-fidelity prototype, as you’ll need a developer. But it can be a useful way to learn how your product performs with users in the wild and generate data about how the final product will work. And if the test goes well, you’re already on your way to production-quality software.

          Feasibility prototypes

          A feasibility prototype focuses on a key feature, technology, or component of the product. You might opt for this type of prototype if you wanted to test something considered high-risk, like a specific feature innovation.

          The aim with a feasibility prototype is to establish evidence that the feature, technology, or component will work. You might use it in the early stages of the development process in order to assess and reduce future risks.

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          About us

          Careers

          Contact us

          Customers

          Privacy policy

          Security information

          Status page

          Terms & conditions

          Platform

          Overview

          Pricing

          Card sorting

          Five second testing

          Interviews

          Panel order calculator

          Preference testing

          Prototype testing

          Research panel

          Self recruitment

          Surveys

          Sign in

          Solutions

          Enterprise

          Marketing

          Product

          UX and UI Design

          UX Research

          Resources

          Resources hub

          Blog

          Videos

          Guides

          Templates

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