Paper prototyping | EPFL Graph Search

Are you an EPFL student looking for a semester project?

Work with us on data science and visualisation projects, and deploy your project as an app on top of GraphSearch.

In human–computer interaction, paper prototyping is a widely used method in the user-centered design process, a process that helps developers to create software that meets the user's expectations and needs – in this case, especially for designing and testing user interfaces. It is throwaway prototyping and involves creating rough, even hand-sketched, drawings of an interface to use as prototypes, or models, of a design. While paper prototyping seems simple, this method of usability testing can provide useful feedback to aid the design of easier-to-use products. This is supported by many usability professionals. Paper prototyping started in the mid-1980s and then became popular in the mid-1990s, when companies such as IBM, Honeywell, Microsoft, and others, started using the technique in developing their products. Today, paper prototyping is used widely in user-centered design by usability professionals. More recently, digital paper prototyping has been advocated by companies like Pidoco due to advantages in terms of collaboration, flexibility, and cost. Paper prototyping saves time and money, since it enables developers to test product interfaces (from software and websites to cell phones and microwave ovens) before they write code or begin development. This also allows for easy and inexpensive modification to existing designs, which makes this method useful in the early phases of design. Using paper prototyping allows the entire creative team to be involved in the process, which eliminates the chance of someone with key information not being involved in the design process. Another benefit of paper prototyping is that users feel more comfortable being critical of the mock-up because it doesn't have a polished look. There are different methods of paper prototyping, each of them showing several benefits regarding the communication within the development team, as well as the quality of the product being developed. In the development team, paper prototypes can serve as a visual specification of the graphical user interface – and by this means, assure the quality of the software.

About this result

This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.

Related concepts (7)

Related courses (14)

Related lectures (37)

Paper prototyping

Usability

Usability can be described as the capacity of a system to provide a condition for its users to perform the tasks safely, effectively, and efficiently while enjoying the experience. In software engineering, usability is the degree to which a software can be used by specified consumers to achieve quantified objectives with effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction in a quantified context of use. The object of use can be a software application, website, book, tool, machine, process, vehicle, or anything a human interacts with.

User-centered design

User-centered design (UCD) or user-driven development (UDD) is a framework of process (not restricted to interfaces or technologies) in which usability goals, user characteristics, environment, tasks and workflow of a product, service or process are given extensive attention at each stage of the design process. These tests are conducted with/without actual users during each stage of the process from requirements, pre-production models and post production, completing a circle of proof back to and ensuring that "development proceeds with the user as the center of focus.

HUM-433: How people learn: Designing Learning Tools II

The students will understand the cognitive and social factors which affect learning - particularly in science and engineering. They will be able to use social research techniques as part of the design

CS-486: Interaction design

This course focuses on goal-directed design and interaction design, two subjects treated in depth in the Cooper book (see reference below). To practice these two methods, we propose a design challenge

PENS-319: Ludic streets

Ce cours se focalise sur la conception de l'espace public et sur les rapports qu'il entretient avec les usages. Au prisme de la place de l'enfant en ville, les étudiant·es construiront des dispositifs

Technology Innovation Process: Feasibility ENV-470: Development engineering MOOC: Technology Innovation for Sustainable Development

Explores testing prototypes, refining the value proposition, and developing a communication strategy in the feasibility phase of the technology innovation process.

Storyboarding: User Observation and Paper Prototypes CS-486: Interaction design

Explores user observation techniques and paper prototypes in design.

Tutorial on FluidUI CS-486: Interaction design

Provides a tutorial on FluidUI, a tool for creating web and mobile prototypes efficiently and collaborating with team members.