What is a prototype?

The definition of a prototype

When it comes to innovation, the term prototype often comes up. A prototype is the first version of your product. Essentially a trial version. The goal of prototyping is to test and refine your design before investing in an incorrect design or inadequate product. With prototypes, you can easily assess and improve the quality of your product.

What can you do with a prototype?

With a prototype, you can test whether your product actually works and meets the needs of users. It also helps you avoid costly mistakes later in the process. In addition, prototypes are a powerful tool for communicating your idea to others and gathering valuable feedback.

What are the benefits of prototypes?

• You immediately see whether something works or not: This is the main benefit of a prototype. In the end, you want to know whether your idea is feasible and what others think of it.
• Better decision-making: By creating multiple prototypes, you can compare possibilities in terms of functionality, usability, and appearance. This helps you make more informed choices.
• Reduced risk: By developing and thoroughly testing prototypes, you minimize the chance of failure and save valuable resources.
• Greater chance of success: Prototypes help you identify the most promising ideas.
• Improved customer satisfaction: By developing and testing prototypes, they become better aligned with the needs and expectations of your customers. This ultimately leads to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.

What types of prototypes are there?

Depending on your goals and budget, there are different types of prototypes you can develop. The most common are:

• Low-fidelity prototypes: These are quick, simple prototypes often made from paper, cardboard, or other basic materials. Their purpose is to test the core concepts of a product.
• Mid-fidelity prototypes: These prototypes are more detailed and often created using 3D printing. Their goal is to test functionality and usability.
• High-fidelity prototypes: These final prototypes are highly detailed and resemble the finished product, often also made with 3D printing. The purpose is to test and finalize the design before moving into production.

What steps are needed to create a prototype?

When creating a prototype, Beeliners follows the following steps:

1. Idea generation: During several brainstorming sessions, we gather as many ideas as possible, which we then evaluate based on feasibility, market potential, and alignment with your business objectives.
2. Concept development: The most valuable ideas are developed into concepts. These concepts are then compared to the requirements the final product must meet. The most promising concept is ultimately used to create a final concept, which forms the foundation for the first prototype.
3. A-sample: The first prototype is called an A-sample. With this version, we conduct initial user tests to evaluate usability, effectiveness, and satisfaction.
4. B-sample: Based on the results of the tests, we refine the design of the A-sample. This B-sample is then tested again.
5. C-sample: The final prototype we create is an improved version of the B-sample, intended to certify the product according to the latest applicable standards and to implement the final optimizations.

Developing a prototype with a partner

The process of prototype testing and further product development takes a lot of time and can quickly become complex if you don’t have the right expertise. Collaborating with a partner like Beeliners can significantly accelerate and strengthen this process. Together with you, we brainstorm about your ideas, assess their technical feasibility, and quickly turn them into something tangible with a prototype.