subject: Understanding Web Site Prototyping And Its Importance [print this page] In website development, a prototype is a rough working model of a website that is usually built to provide clients a visual representation of the site design and functions. It is also very helpful to website developers because it allows them to test and tweak the design before starting to develop the actual code.
Designing and developing a site requires monetary and time investments. Skipping this part of the web development process and leaping right into actual website development is one sure way towards a host of problems later on. The client will most likely be unpleasantly surprised and call for a redesign of the site, which will lead to wasted resources.
The process of building a website prototype typically starts with paper prototyping. This is the stage where developers create the basic site design and functionality and put them all down on paper. It involves laying out the site's features and how to draw audience and drive conversion.
After the paper prototype is done, the graphical phase follows where the web designer puts together the basic look of the website by using an image editing software to create the graphic design. Although the outcome is not absolutely accurate, this provides web designers and developers a very good picture of what the website will look like after it has been created using website development tools.
The final phase is where the web architect and developer transfer all the output from previous phases into the web. This is the production stage where graphic elements, features, organization and navigation come together and are tested to ensure they meet the client's requirements.
The key aspect of the web site prototyping process is the consultation between the web development team and the clients. The very purpose of going through such a process is to show clients how their website will look and demonstrate how it will function so that they can provide feedback on the site and indicate what changes need to be made before the actual web development is started.
For both developers and clients, web site prototyping keeps risks to a minimum. Being able to see and interact with a working model will ensure that the resulting site meets the needs of the clients, appeals to target customers, is user-friendly and is deployed within the desired timeframe and budget.
