The first step in the iteration process, should be creating a sketch or wireframe of your design. There are two types of initial prototype, depending on whether you are doing something physical or digital. If Interested in Digital Apps and UI/UX design please check out:
When making a physical prototype, you want to build whatever you drew in your sketch as soon as possible. Seeing the dimensions and proprieties of your design physically will help you make a lot of decisions and changes quickly before building the real, expensive design.
You can make two types of prototypes, either it looks like what you are trying to build, but it does not work. Or it works like what you are trying to build, but it lacks the design.
For these protypes, you should use cheap, easy to use materials. Do not try to make it out of the final material, as you will most likely change a lot of things.
This prototype should take you less than 1h to build (more or less). If you are spending hours or days, you are definitely spending too much time doing this.
The key goal here is to prove the design/concept is viable and give you an initial direction. Most projects will change considerably from its inception to the final prototype and most of that change happens here, during the first prototype.
The next step in prototyping should be the creation of what is called a Minimum Viable Product or MVP. Basically a working version of your project that has all the main elements. It should be simple and work as a proof of concept, where the functionality can be showcased but missing several features you may add down the line.
An example, of this might be the image on the right, which is a ball launcher. It has all the key elements, with a ramp, loading area, launch ramp and two wheels to propel the balls forward. Is it perfect? No. Will it probably break after two uses? Yes. But it proves the concept, is functional and will serve as a starting point for next iterations of the design.
It is cheap, easy to fix/build, simple and someone who sees it working will quickly understand what you are trying to do.
After this, you should probably do a design review! Go check out Design Reviews!
