On Feb 13, 2008, at 1:32 PM, Christopher Fahey wrote:

>>
> I hope this doesn't re-open the old 'debate' with Andrei Herasimchuk
> over what constitutes a "prototype".

Only if you want it to by invoking my name when I was actually going  
to let it go... 8^)

I can tell you this: The talk given by Jonathan Arnowitz and crew at  
the BayCHI/IxDA talk at Google last month using the example of using  
Microsoft Excel to "draw" screens is not a prototype. Their talking  
points about prototyping were fine, but the means they used to show  
"prototyping" was way off base imho. If anyone in the Bay Area wants  
me to give a talk on what I mean by prototyping -- going into full  
detail the various fidelity levels, ease of construction, use a  
design tool, inexpensiveness, iteration, etc. -- I'd be more than  
happy to do so.

Beyond that, I'm also waiting to hear Alan's explanation of the same  
excerpt that Dave posted. I read the transcript yesterday and I was  
kind of shocked to read that last bit. My only guess is that Alan is  
referring to the traditional engineering use or definition of a  
prototype, where code is written by engineers and used to exercise  
functional aspects of a product before full engineering commences on  
the feature. If Alan is thinking of or referring to that sort of  
thing, then I would absolutely agree with him.

But there are levels of very high fidelity prototypes in the software/ 
web world that are design prototypes; fast to build, easy to iterate  
on, extraordinarily useful in making detailed, final design  
decisions. These are more akin to the kind of prototyping Henry  
Dreyfuss describes in "Designing for People."

-- 
Andrei Herasimchuk

Principal, Involution Studios
innovating the digital world

e. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
c. +1 408 306 6422


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