What type of prototype do I need to have built???
This is a great first question to ask!!
The answer depends on where you currently are in your project. If you are still in the brainstorming/ideation phase, then you most likely are looking for just a proof-of-concept prototype. If your project is further along and you are in a funding stage where you will be showing your product to possible investors or end-users, then you are looking for an engineering prototype.
There are of course different degrees of complexity that can be desired in the proof-of-concept or engineering prototypes. Again the level of complexity desired or required is driven by the stage of your product development. It is very common to have multiple iterations of each type of prototype created throughout the product development cycle.
Proof-of-Concept Prototype
The proof-of-concept prototype can have a wide range of complexity. If your project is just getting started, perhaps in the brainstorming/ideation stage, your first proof-of-concept prototype may be as simple as taking some already available off-the-shelf product, and simply “hacking” it into what your concept is. After all, you’re simple trying to create a visual aid that will help to communicate your idea to internal colleagues and aid in the brainstorming/ideation phase.
The next step in the life of the proof-of-concept prototype may now be for you to create a breadboard type prototype. Here is where your ideas of what your product will be are for the first time built from scratch. This prototype is not meant to be pretty, but functional, and implemented in your own vision.
As you move further into your product development cycle, you may find that you now have a need to involve some external parties and the previous proof-of-concept prototype, while useful at the time, is not going to fulfill your needs. You may now need to refine the proof-of-concept prototype to align it closer to the desired finished product. This might involve 3D-printing some enclosures and making your first pass at PCB designs. You’re still not ready for any type of tooling, so the engineering prototype is not yet in bounds, but your product is now ready to take that next step towards becoming real.
You want and need a proof-of-concept prototype to show investors and potential end-users. A proof-of-concept prototype that you can let others touch and feel but still requires some careful handing.
Engineering Prototype
The Engineering Prototype stage is essentially the early stage of manufacturing or production. Your project has graduated to the point where you may be thinking of conducting field tests with end-users. Therefore you will require more finished and hardened prototypes and you will need a larger quantity of these.
The realization of the Engineering Prototype may be accomplished through the use of 3D printing to create enclosures, or perhaps some low-cost injection molding tools. The electronics will now also be produced in a larger quantity which requires setting up relationships with board houses and electronics assembly houses. Documentation is critical at this point in order to guarantee that the delivered prototype is built correctly and is used correctly by the targeted end-users.
The Engineering prototype is also meant to be able to withstand and pass both internal and external testing. Internal testing is usually targeted at life-test requirements as well as functionality tests, and the external testing is targeted at compliance related tests.
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