Making a Paper Prototype
SUMMARY
This article begins with a list of possible additional materials you may wish to purchase to use when creating paper prototypes-and what you may need to carry them around in. They include things like marker, index cards, scissors, and whiteout. Then, there is a chart that lists the supplies, what you may want to use them for, and notes that explain why they were chosen as important. Moving on from the ‘good’ list is the ‘bad’ list and why. These are things like sticky notes, flip paper, rulers, and laminators. Moving on, there is a discussion of possible backgrounds on the paper prototype. It includes things like pictures of the operating system of the computer you are using, or the hot links buttons pictures that you plan on using. Moving on from there, they layout what would happen with drop down boxes and moving screens.
CRITIQUE
With the listing of the materials, almost all of them are things most teachers keep on hand anyway, so no new information there. Same with the no go list—most are materials many teachers don’t like to use when working on a project because they aren’t very user friendly. Once again, no new information there. Once into the backgrounds, it begins to get a little better. However, I still feel that this is common sense information. In addition, is the background of the operating system really necessary as a background on a paper prototype if it doesn’t affect the design? The pictures here did help to understand that they were just drawn on for the purpose of getting a more generally layout, but I wouldn’t be using it as a background just to have it be more accurate. Only the buttons I would be adding into my project for my projects’ use would be added. Once the topics move on to where drop down menus would go and the purpose they serve, it begins to make a little more sense on creating a paper prototype. It allows the creator to see exactly what would happen when clicked on, making sure they keep the menus in the same order each time.
This article had a hard time keeping my interest. I really do understand the need for a computer based prototype, but even after reading this and the one from last week, I just don’t see the need for a full paper based one. Yes, there are some screens that I draw out, but that is for more of a general template to be sure all my pages look the same later without having to move between screens…not to layout my entire project.
It's interesting how differently we all have reacted to the prototyping process and I think whether we work in business or education has a lot to do with creating those differences.
ReplyDeleteIf this Sustainability course was being proposed for an entire school district or state, was intended to have a long life and be used by many different teachers, then it would probably warrant more extensive prototyping. But one teacher creating it for his or her own class would probably not bother to prototype since he/she already knows the students well and has a sense of their web skills.
Likewise in a business context, a team-designed course with critical content, as Mary Jane pointed out, or one with a lot of investment behind it would be more likely to rate iterative testing than a single-topic, single-designer course.
I'm drawn to the creativity of being a one-man band and designing everything myself, soup to nuts. But there's also a lot to be said for the rich collaborations of a smoothly performing team. Trouble is, how many of us can expect to enjoy that particular miracle?
Kristen,
ReplyDeleteI can understand your frustration with the paper prototyping process. I must admit that I am beginning to get excited about starting mine for the simple purpose of seeing how it plays out. I have also admitted to being extremely critical for the need of a paper prototype, because of that I want to see exactly what all of the fuss is about! Will I end up finding it so useful that I can't do without it for any project? Or will my assumption be correct and I never use it again unless I'm asked?
~Mikah
I think the use of background could be authentic enough for subjects to test. I think if there's a background (usually there are frame and color), such color use may create a visual rhythm that subjects can follow so as to unify the different things. Learned last semester.
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