Prototyping
Prototyping is the process of creating a preliminary model of a product to test a concept or process. It ranges from low-fidelity (paper sketches) to high-fidelity (interactive digital mockups that look and feel like the final product).
Impact
Prototyping is the cheapest way to fail. It allows teams to validate hypotheses and uncover usability issues before writing a single line of production code. It bridges the gap between abstract requirements and concrete implementation.
Weinto take
We prototype to think, not just to present. High-fidelity prototypes are the specification for engineering. However, we define the "fidelity" carefully—a prototype mimics behavior, not implementation logic. It is a communication tool, not a codebase.