How to Make and Test a Prototype: Get Your Idea Made

A product prototype is an example of a product you intend to manufacture on a much larger scale. Compared to mass production, prototyping has a high cost per individual unit. However, because you are only manufacturing a small number of prototypes, your overall costs are significantly lower than they’d be if you ordered hundreds or thousands of units of your new product.

A working prototype may differ from the final product. This could be due to cost or supply limitations, or it could be because your product idea is still evolving. It’s quite common for brainstorming to lead to a rapid prototyping process, which in turn gives way to a longer design process in which the product design may significantly change.

Whether you’re a small business owner or part of an international conglomerate, it’s wise to include a design prototype in your business plan. Here’s why:

1. 1. A prototype will help you understand the user experience. When you have a physical product in hand, you can comprehend the prototype design in a way that isn’t possible if it’s just a theoretical idea written out in an inventor’s journal.
2. 2. A prototype facilitates market research. When you present a potential consumer with a visual prototype or place a physical object in their hands, you can use their reactions to glean information about your target audience.
3. 3. A prototype improves your final design. Remember that your prototype is just a passing stage in the overall production process. To reach the next level of success, you’ll need to identify flaws in the prototype, and put in some hard work to remedy those flaws.
4. 4. A prototype can spark other invention ideas. Let’s say you’re working on a prototype for a remote control car, and in the testing process you realize the car should be controlled by a mobile app. Suddenly, you have to hire iOS and Android coders, but more importantly, you’ve identified an additional product that should exist.

Prototyping is a two-pronged process: When you make your first prototype, it’s about bringing your idea into the world to see if it can actually be made. Then, as you progress in the prototyping process, it’s about examining the strengths and weaknesses of your product by comparing it to what else is out there. Here are some key tips for building the first prototype of an invention:

1. 1. Enlist an intellectual property lawyer. Sometimes marketed as a patent attorney, an intellectual property lawyer can advise you on the existence of similar products (although anyone with a computer can do a patent search). Beyond patenting, a lawyer can help you in many early-stage tasks, whether that’s learning about applicable regulations or connecting with potential investors.
2. 2. Have any collaborator sign a non-disclosure agreement. Few people go through the full prototype development process without some help. Whether you’re developing a physical prototype, a computer-generated virtual prototype, or a paper prototype, you want to make sure that your intellectual property remains safe. Your lawyer can help you draft an NDA for any collaborator.
3. 3. Look for cost-effective ways to render a prototype. The advent of 3D printing has helped enormously in this regard. While owning your own 3D printer may be cost-prohibitive, many of today’s design firms can provide computer-aided design and a 3D model of your invention, which can serve as a comparatively low cost prototype.
4. 4. Outsource to keep costs low. Although many American inventors would prefer to create a functional prototype using domestic resources, the fact is that many overseas countries are better equipped with the industrial equipment and manufacturing know-how that’s needed to efficiently manufacture basic prototypes.
5. 5. Guard your intellectual property. Be aware that some factories may not be respectful of your design patents, so choose your partners wisely.

Learn entrepreneur Sara Blakely’s tips for prototyping in our article here.

Testing prototypes is an integral part of product development. The main reason to test throughout the development process is to assess whether a good idea will actually work in the real world. When it comes to clothing and industrial design, function is every bit as important as form. A prototype designer will seek out real world subjects who can test the working model of a product to assess if it actually works. A great place to find such real world subjects is from your own social circles. But first start with yourself.

Try your first few prototypes on yourself. If you wouldn’t buy it and it was your idea in the first place, who would? If it passes the “would I buy it?” test, great—now step it up. Give it to some trusted friends and family members to try. At this stage of prototype testing, you’ll be looking for constructive criticism. Vapid encouragement is nice when you’re feeling down, but when you’re trying to improve a prototype, don’t welcome it. During the process of user testing, ask your trusted testers the following:

1. 1. What do you like about this product?
2. 2. What are three things you would change about it?
3. 3. Would you use this?
4. 4. When would you use this?
5. 5. Would you recommend it to a friend?
6. 6. Could you see this being your first choice compared to similar products that exist on the market? Why?
7. 7. Do you see a need for this?
8. 8. What are my product’s three greatest flaws?

From the first prototype to the last, the mockup process is expensive and time-consuming and may well be the most draining component of the whole invention process—but it’s an exciting time as well. After extensive usability testing followed by a phase during which you rework usability issues and rethink your design decisions, you'll finally have a product you're ready to take to market. At the end of the day, here are the four qualities a prototype will have that prove it’s ready for market:

1. 1. It solves the problem you set out to solve.
2. 2. It gives you the results you’re looking for.
3. 3. It differentiates itself from other similar products on the market.
4. 4. It’s the best option out there.

The success of a product comes down to user experience. If you’ve managed to create a user experience that cannot be improved on by other products, you may have a product that’s ready for market.

Sara Blakely had no fashion, retail, or business leadership experience when she invented Spanx in the late 1990s. All she had was $5,000 and an idea. Which means you can start your own billion-dollar business, too. Learn more about finding your purpose, making prototypes, building awareness, and selling your product in Sara Blakely’s MasterClass.

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