This document discusses how to develop a software prototype. It defines a prototype as a preliminary version of a software application that demonstrates the main functionality of the product under development. Prototypes come in different levels of fidelity from low to high. Low-fidelity prototypes quickly demonstrate screen mockups while high-fidelity prototypes fully simulate functionality. Prototypes can be either throwaway, meant to help discover requirements and then be discarded, or evolutionary, where an initial prototype is refined through stages. The steps to design a software prototype include gathering initial requirements, developing the prototype, reviewing it with customers, and revising/enhancing it based on feedback.

1. HOWTO DEVELOP PRODUCT
PROTOTYPE
Herry Prihandoko
Blue PowerTechnology

2. Software
Development
Lifecycle
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Requirements
Gathering
Design
Development
Testing
Deployment
& Maintenance

3. What is Software Prototype?
It is a software application that displays the main functionality of
the product under development
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4. Why you
need
software
prototype?
It’s often useful to build a prototype before the
actual development to visualize a new software idea
in a more clear way
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5. Classification
of
Prototypes
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Low-fidelity
prototype
• Could be quickly produced
• Represents the screens mockups and
demonstrates the main business
scenarios of the future system
Middle-
fidelity
prototype
• The main purpose to partially simulate
the future system functionality
• Usually doesn’t use real data
High-fidelity
prototype
• Fully interactive
• Simulates much of the future system’s
functionality
• Could use real data or database or
produce model that become the part of
the future real

6. Types of
Prototypes
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Throwaway prototypes
• A prototype which is usually
practical implementation of
the system is produced to
help discover requirements
problems and then discarded.
The system then developed
using some other
development process.
Evolutionary
Prototypes
• An approach to system
development where an initial
prototype is produced and
refine through a number of
stages to the final system.

7. Prototype
objective
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The objective of evolutionary prototype
is to deliver a working system to end
user. The development starts with
those requirements which are best
understood.
The objective of throwaway
prototyping is to validate or derive the
system requirements. The prototyping
process start with those requirements
which are poorly understood.

8. Evolutionary
prototype
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Must be used in
systems where the
specification cannot
be developed in
advance e.g. AI
system and user
interface system
Based on techniques
allow rapid system
iterations
Verification is
impossible as there is
no specification.
Validation mean
demonstrating the
adequacy of the
system

9. Throwaway
Prototype
• Use to reduce requirement risk
• The prototype is developed from an initial specification, delivered
for experiment and then discarded
• TheThrowaway prototype should NOT considered as a final system
– Some system characteristics may have been left out
– There is no specification for long-term maintenance
– The system will be poorly structured and difficult to mantain
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10. Rapid
prototyping
techniques
• Various techniques may be used for rapid development
– Dynamic high level language development
– Database programming
– Component and application assembly
• There are not exclusive technique – they are often used
together
• Visual programming is an inherent part of most
prototype development system
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11. Stepwise
approach to
design
a software
prototype
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Gathering the
initial
requirements
Developing
the prototype
Reviewing
the prototype
Revise and
enhance the
prototype

12. Gathering
the initial
requiremen
t
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Gathering and
understanding the
main product
requirement
Some detail and
accessory functions
can be ignore

13. Developing
the
prototype
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Customers
Opportunity
to follow the
main business
flow with user
interface
Provide user
interface
Showcase
feature of the
product

14. Blue PowerTechnology, PT
To get the customers’ or
even and users’ feedback
To test the idea
Reviewing
the
prototype
To run a realize usability
testing (in some cases)

15. Revise
and enhance
the prototype
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Revise and enhance the prototype
All the feedback
is collected and
analyzed
Initial
requirements
are clarified
and
complemented
The
development
team better
understands
what exactly is
expected from
the product
Some changes
can be added
or eliminated

16. IBM
Offering

27. Why the
prototype
model can
be useful
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Requirement
gathering
and
qualifying
As a part of
the proposal
to the
customer
As a sample
model for
the
developers
As a sample
model for
the testers
As a tool for
testing the
ideas about
the product
features
Object of
usability
testing

28. Advantages
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User’s involvement is increased
Customer’s feedback is available at early stages
Missing or redundant functionality could be identified quicker
Confusing or implicit requirements can be clarified and agreed
Gives some benefits at the stage of preparing the proposal or
tender documentation and contract signing
Efficient communications can reduce time and money for
development
Product quality can be increased due to good understanding
the requirements by the whole development team

29. Disadvantages
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The efforts of investing in prototype could be more than
the values of the results of its analysis
The risk of expanding the first project scope is very high
Customer maybe disappointed because their expectation
to the prototype is too high
Developers may try to reuse prototype to create the real
product even when it is technically not optimal realization
Time and money for actual development could be
increased due to inefficient way of building and analyzing
the prototype

30. When you
use
prototype
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You are going to create a new system with a lot of
features and integrations with other systems
Your product needs various interactions with the end
users. *End users are available
Your project has a very tight deadline and there is no
time to make researches. Requirement are gathered
but there is no possibility to make clarification
The project realize the automatization of the
complicated business process with several stages
and has a very long development cycle

31. When you
don’t use
prototype
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You deal
with short
project.The
requirement
specification
is available
Your project
is technical
and has not
a lot of
interactions
with users
Your
product
need various
interactions
with the und
user … but
… end users
are
unavailable
You are going
to make some
changes in
existing
system

32. Summary :
• Its often useful to use prototype before actual development to
visualize software idea more clear
• Be patient: using prototype model can be useful for certain
projects and pointless for the others
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33. THANK YOU
Herry Prihandoko
Blue PowerTechnology
herry.prihandoko@bluepowertechnology.com