Software Prototyping
Make things, show them to people, learn from their feedback: Prototyping is a widely used method for quickly exploring technical and visual approaches to digital products and services. The method clearly emphasizes doing. It is common practice to create prototypes to explore options and possibilities before and during the development of a project.
Today, software systems are used to provide a variety of functions and capabilities. Systems that do a lot for us are usually very complex. Due to their size or many unknown factors, extensive planning before development begins is hardly possible or simply not desired.
By putting software prototypes into the hands of stakeholders and users at a very early stage, it is possible to collect valuable feedback. This helps to make better, more informed decisions and get risks under control.
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As developers and project managers at Factorial, we appreciate these advantages of prototyping:
Prototyping allows for accurate estimates and planning, providing a clearer roadmap for development. This approach leads to more successful products by focusing on the actual needs of users, ensuring that the final product is both relevant and functional.
By identifying risks early in the process, prototyping helps mitigate potential issues before they become significant problems. This early detection also enables teams to set the right priorities, distinguishing important features from optional ones, thus optimizing the development effort.
Moreover, prototyping makes the project's potential tangible, making it easier to achieve internal buy-in. When stakeholders can see and interact with a prototype, they are more likely to understand and support the project's vision, facilitating smoother progress and collaboration.
At Factorial we see the value of prototypes and early feedback ourselves every day: We use prototypical processes in our daily development, for example to be able to use novel technologies and approaches in low-risk projects.
We've created a software prototype in the development of a Scoring-Tool for all muncipalities in Germany to self-evaluate how far they are in regards to climate adaptation. Read more on the scoring tool project for the Umweltbundesamt, which was announced on our partners blog: Forschungsprojekt entwickelt neues Tool für Kommunen