You brainstormed about your mobile app, and it survived the discovery phase. You defined an audience and conceived a plan to monetize it. Now you need a feasibility test. How will you do that without having a live prototype?
For a team ready to take a mobile app idea to the next phase, design abstraction and documentation are a means to build support, but ultimately it comes down to proving your idea out. This generally goes beyond wireframes, screen mockups, and feasibility documentation. A member representing your target audience needs to be observed installing and using your app.
BENEFITS
Working prototypes offer tremendous advantages over mockups, which include improving time to market. We view fully functioning prototypes as a remedy to back and forth design cycles which often act as roadblocks to progress. Once you get on board with rapid prototyping, you will find it tremendously powerful. The list below helps to understand why.
- Eliminates ambiguities and improve accuracy in the understanding of requirements and functionality.
- Identifies and prioritizes problems early so positive feature can be expanded and confusing ones eliminated.
- Improves estimates for final development costs, schedule, and resource requirements.
- Demonstrates how the final solution will look and feel. User acceptance allows for the project team to focus on the next stage of development.
- Ensures the solution effectively solves the defined problem and satisfies the customer need.
- Discover benefits or obstructions not previously thought of by the product owner nor developer.
- Allows for a genuine product demonstration by letting users walk through the app.
- Encourages the exploration of related ideas. Only after a client experiences an app can they thoroughly assess features and therefore provide relevant feedback.
- Builds stronger collaboration between client and developers. Empowers product owners to feel a greater sense of ownership, and ultimately, a better appreciation of the final solution.
Because prototyping is an iterative process, it is in step with Agile development, which has become the most popular IT project management system used to satisfy clients. By rapidly refining the prototype through quick release cycles it is more likely that the product is developed with technical excellence and sound design. Moreover, there is the best chance for developers and business people to be in synch.
MAKING YOUR PITCH
Entrepreneurs seeking capital investment are fortunate when they get an opportunity to get in front of potential investors. One of the biggest discussion points teams have is what to include in their pitch. While a slide deck is normal and rich mockups are okay, handing them a device with an actual working prototype is considerably better.
Making a big impression with a live prototype can often be the tipping point for an investor to commit. At INMEDIATUM, our goal is to help our customers bring their products and services to life. We help you to build a functional prototype that can be used by a user, customer or investor.
MOVE YOUR IDEA FORWARD
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