Hello there fellow designers! Welcome to another blog?
so what is prototyping may you add? It's a way you test out your product or service to know if its good or needs fixing. It can also be used in the initial stages of your product you could use paper or plastic or modeling clay to make a rough version of your product. This is the early stages of your product or service and its exciting to try out these things on people and even for yourself.
There are many forms prototyping can take and many ways.
1. Model paper mock ups
Making a rough paper mock up is a good way to have your design come to life and to be able to test it to the public with a great physical visual and a good explanation your on your way to make good steed.
2. Model Making
Using paper models gives a rough idea of what you drawing look like physically and with paper you manipulate it physically and change it, photograph it instead or constantly drawing it and being stuck inside your mind. By all mean though if you feel comfortable drawing don't let me stop you!
3. Experiment with different material
By making prototypes gives you leverage to experiment perhaps feedback from your first prototype led you to use a different material that might work best for you and your target audience.
4. Using a laser cutter
laser cutting is a good way to prototype straight from drawing especially from flat. Be it a drawing digitally or drawing by hand and scanning it into the computer but be careful of that trace tool it may get confusing on illustrator. Laser cutting is a vector based platform were it cuts and engraves your command lines depending on what you programme it. It's done usually by colour and strength. I always like programming it but now a days there are companies you can outsource that programmes it for you. I don't really like it cause its like going in blind but hey health and safety right?
5. 3D printing
3d printing is a process that involves making a project with one material very quickly also known as rapid prototyping depending on the printer it can look very fine and sometimes seamless but the idea is that you make it on the computer with a cad (computer aided design) software and and using this software is the fun part as you can print off something that you think you couldn't print off. The only downside to this is it can be very fragile so just be careful with your structural designs!
For more information take a look at this video I made about 3d printing I go into more detail and show you how the machine works.
Enjoy and keep safe
Kim