Deploy the Design

The last step in the effective prototyping process is to take an appropriately finished prototype and shape it into a product or service concept as part of a new technology incubation process or translate it into an actual product or service to be implemented and deployed in the marketplace. This chapter provides guidance on a successful handoff. This chapter also touches on documenting the prototyping results—an important activity throughout the prototyping process but especially important as a communication component for the prototype handoff to the stakeholders who will implement the design. Regardless of whom a prototype is handed off to, it is important to set expectations by communicating the transition process, activities, and deliverables. This ensures that the hand-off stakeholders are well informed about what to expect. A prototype can be handed off in a close, open, narrative, or interactive format. Given the temporal nature of a prototype, documentation of the results is essential for its adoption into the software design process, especially the implementation stage.