Prototyping is the fun part. Up to now, it’s all been theory and research – now it’s time to get your hands dirty and CREATE.
Yesterday, over a coffee, I described to my husband exactly how I envisioned our next product….right down to the type of packaging. He listened patiently, and then explained how and why my design wouldn’t work in the way I had thought.
This is prototyping.
Nothing quite works in the way you think. It doesn’t matter what type of product you are creating – if it’s food, the flavours may be awesome, but the colour and consistency are not what you expected. That app has a glitch when you download it to an android phone. The new toy has too many moving parts for tiny hands…..you get the picture.
It’s as if you run around getting all your ducks to line up, and then one goes waddling off.
However, there is an order and a science to prototyping
. And there are also three BIG mistakes that you should avoid…
Mistake # 1 No Documentation.
Inventors are not usually known for their attention to paperwork. But documentation is so important. Not only for potential legal reasons (see How do I Protect My idea?), but also to help you remember all the intricate details of your prototyping, and to help you avoid making the same error twice.
If your product design or functionality is complex, making one alteration may lead to unexpected consequences. Do this a few times, and it will feel like you are running through a maze.
Making sure that you document every stage thoroughly will ensure that you stop reaching the same dead end, time after time.
Mistake # 2. Starting Production Before your Product is Ready.
This happens time after time. Inventors, impatient with the prototyping process have been known to say….
”That’s a detail we can sort out in production…..”
No one can tell you how many prototypes you should build before your product is ready for production. There’s no RULE, it obviously depends on a gazillion factors.
The only advice we can give is this…….step back and assess your product.
Does it look like something you would buy?
If the answer is YES, then carry on to the production phase. If not, continue prototyping. BUT…..do not fall into the trap of …..
Mistake # 3. Putting off Production until the Prototype is PERFECT.
Prototyping is very different from production. You are generally making more than one, the production is done by a manufacturer, not a prototyping company, the production model may be different materials from the prototype, the reasons are unlimited.
So you will hardly ever end up with a production model that is IDENTICAL to your prototype.
The last prototype you make is called a reference prototype for a reason. You refer back to it during production.
Many inventors put off the production because of FEAR.
When a product goes into production, it stops being a project with endless possibilities, the product is now REALITY, and you are a step away from unveiling it to the public and starting the SELLING phase.
And that, for many creative people, is way out of their comfort zone.
I’ve seen my own husband, despite many successes, attempt to sabotage himself when it comes to taking the plunge. There is a tendency to keep tweaking and adjusting, telling himself that he is striving for perfection, when in reality he is just nervous when faced with the reality of manufacturing.
This is normal.
There are no ways to stop your nervousness, you just have to DO it. If it makes you feel better, just do a very small production run (we advise this anyway, unless you have a purchase order for a certain number).
In any event, if you are tempted to keep on adjusting your prototype…ask yourself honestly – does it really need it, or are your ducks finally in a row?
