Prototype Testing

Prototype testing puts an interactive or visual representation of a product design in front of real users before the product is built, identifying usability problems and validating design decisions at a stage when changes are still cheap and fast to make.

The core principle is one of the most economically sound ideas in product development: it's always cheaper to fix a design in a prototype than in a shipped product. A usability problem caught in a Figma prototype takes hours to address. The same problem occurs after engineering has built the feature, which takes weeks and carries real opportunity costs in delaying other work.

Testing works at multiple fidelity levels. Low-fidelity wireframes reveal structural and navigation problems early, before visual design investment. High-fidelity prototypes test interaction detail, realistic content, and visual design necessary when the research question requires that level of realism to get valid responses from participants.

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