A prototype is a final draft of a mobile application that shows the interactions and design details the actual app would contain. Prototyping is one of the most important design steps to perform before beginning with the actual development of the app. The reason is that the prototype shows you what the end product will look like and how all of its interactions and navigational flow will work. Continue reading to find all the interesting information about prototyping and its importance!

The contents of this article are as follows:

• What is a mobile app Prototype?
• Why create a Prototype?
• When to create a Prototype?
• What should be included in a Prototype?
• Tools for creating a Prototyping
• Website Prototypes vs mobile prototypes
• Approximate cost of creating Prototypes
• Conclusion

1. What is a mobile app Prototype?

A mobile app prototype is a mock-up design that has the UI, usability, and user flow incorporated within the app. A prototype simulates how the actual app would work and allows a designer to see and test how the app responds on multiple devices

2. Why create a Prototype?

There are a number of reasons why you should create a prototype:

Prototyping allows you to build a model of the app and test it for any failures

It can save your cost by allowing you to see your end product mockup, and if you don’t like it you save the actual development cost

Creating a prototype gives you a real feel of the app and allows you to find improvements in the app idea

3. When to create a Prototype?

Prototypes are the end stage of the design process and the last step before the development begins. The prototypes of a mobile application are based on the wireframes of the app. If you don’t know what are wireframes, no worries! You can check out my blog which covers everything about wireframes

Prototyping should be done when you want to validate your idea or you do not know the exact features the app should have. At this point, a prototype will help clarify things for you and help you explore the unique attributes your mobile app can contain.

4. What should be included in a Prototype?

A prototype should contain the final UX experience the mobile application is supposed to deliver to its customers. This includes real images, texts, icons, key interface elements, screens, buttons, and simulated functionality. A prototype should be able to convey to any user the interactions the mobile application will possess. The design elements however are changeable

5. Tools for creating a Prototype

There are many tools that can be used for developing prototypes. Before the development of the mobile or web application can begin, a high-fidelity prototype must be developed. Here is a list of the top five prototyping tools:

• Figma
• Adobe XD
• Sketch
• InVision studio
• Framer

6. Website prototypes vs mobile prototypes

As I have stated before, prototypes are based on wireframes. The wireframes of web applications and mobile applications have to be designed differently because of reasons such as:

• The difference in the size of the screen
  Mobile and desktop have very different screen sizes therefore what might look good on the website may not be suitable for mobile.
• Behavior and Interaction of the app
  Desktop responses for the app might be different because the desktop allows the use of mouse and trackpads. There are more click and hover options whereas mobile screens only offer tap

Thus the prototypes should be created separately for each web and mobile application

8. Approximate cost of creating a Prototype

The cost of the prototype depends on wireframes, screens, and how detailed and high-quality the prototype you want to develop. A basic prototype may not cost very much but at the same time, if prototypes are developed with negligence, they can result in huge development costs due to iterations and changes. Therefore it is better to invest in a high-fidelity prototype. Suppose that you want simple features and design with nearly 15 screens including sign up, log in, forget password, user profile, chat, etc. For this,

A good quality Prototype start from the price of $500 (may vary based on time consumption and complexity of prototype)

But this price can vary based on what is expected from a prototype and how complex the prototype is. To save extra expenses, it is better to spend good money on design procedures

Conclusion

Developing a prototype for your mobile or web application plays a vital role in finding out the success/failure of your app. A well-crafted prototype not only shows you the mock-up user experience of the app but also saves a lot of development costs by providing a clear vision of the app idea and app features. If you want to create a successful app, then you should focus on developing an excellent wireframe and creating a detailed prototype.

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