Prototyping: a Tool for Rapid Learning in Product Development

This paper examines the crucial roles which prototyping plays in fast-start product development - a concept which emphasizes thorough, up-front planning, early product definition, greater staffing during the start-up phase of the program, and intensive early-design effort. The diverse uses of prototypes in product development are first reviewed in general terms, followed by an examination of how prototypes were used in a number of development projects studied as part of the "Manufacturing Vision" program [2]. The effectiveness of use of prototypes at critical junctures proved to be pivotal events in the outcome of many of the product development programs studied.