hi all. I've started working for a company and am helping them revamp their website development process. We are clashing on one aspect of the process. Their current process calls for building a prototype of the website once the design concept has been signed off. The "prototype" is a fully functional, correctly coded version of the home page and one other page. Basically, if the client signs off, implementation continues from where it left off. From what I've read it seems that a prototype is a hacked together version of the final product. It accurately portrays the look and feel but the underlying code is very messy. Upon sign-off, the website implementation starts from the beginning. Would what they do now be considered a high-fidelity prototype? Saving Changes...
Michael WoodProject Manager / Business Analyst / Business Process Improvement Guru| Independent ContractorGig Harbor, Wa, United States
It sounds like they are building the shell that will be added to not a prototype. Typically prototypes are done during the design process (RAD mode) to assist the users in understanding what they are about to approve for construction. In a WEB environment the look and feel can be developed and tuned starting in the design phase with the guts put into place once approved. Prototypes and shells make sense when the mean time between iterations is very fast. When they are not then more traditional design approaches tend to serve the development process better. Hope this helps. Saving Changes...
