What is Paper Prototyping?
Kern Communications

What is a Paper Prototype
Paper prototype is a very powerful and effective usability technique to design and test
user interfaces. In this phase, the usability expert designs the wireframes of the
complete application/website in a PPT. Each screen is then printed on paper. This is
not translated to HTML pages yet at this phase.
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How is it Done
These wireframes are tested in a usability lab with a sample size of the target users.
In this session, the users are asked to perform tasks as they would on the website,
using the paper prototypes. They are encouraged to think aloud and the moderator
supplies the relevant paper for every action, like click, dropdown, navigation to other
pages or a simple scroll.
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Why is it Important
Paper prototyping helps test the information architecture and design of the website at a
very early stage. This saves time and money since it enables developers to test
interfaces before they write code or begin development. This also allows for easy and
inexpensive modification to existing designs. Iterative usability testing of prototypes
leads designers and developers to a progressively bug-free interface, which they can
then develop with a fair amount of confidence.
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When Should it be Done?
This test should be conducted after designing the wireframes on paper and before the
development of the application
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Kern Communications
Usability Testing in India
User Research in India
User Interface Design
210 B, Swapnalok Complex
Sarojini Devi Road,
Secunderabad 500 003
INDIA
p +91 40 40171313
e shipra@kern-comm.com
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