Prototyping

The iterative creation of tangible, interactive representations of a design - ranging from paper sketches and cardboard mock-ups to functional software builds - used to explore ideas, elicit feedback, and test assumptions before committing to a final product. In accessibility and co-design practice, prototypes are especially valuable because they translate abstract concepts into concrete artefacts that disabled co-designers can manipulate, react to, and reshape. The fidelity and modality of a prototype (low-fi paper, physical objects, high-fi interactive) should be chosen to match the communication preferences and cognitive needs of the people involved.