prototyping-concept-throwaway-evolutionaryUse this skill when picking which kind of prototype to build for the question at hand — concept (exploratory), throwaway (testing one specific aspect), or evolutionary (incremental toward final). Trigger when planning a research method, when scoping a technical spike, or when deciding whether an MVP should evolve or be thrown away. Sub-aspect of `prototypin…
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prototyping; read that first.'The book identifies three prototype kinds — concept, throwaway, evolutionary — each with characteristic uses, costs, and failure modes.
For exploring preliminary ideas. Quick, cheap, often disposable.
Use for: brainstorming sessions, early stakeholder alignment, exploring whether a direction is worth pursuing.
Examples: paper sketches, storyboards, mood boards, foam mockups, role-playing.
Failure mode: artificial reality problem. A skilled designer can make any concept look plausible; the prototype's polish doesn't predict actual workability.
For testing specific aspects of a design.
Use for: performance benchmarks, A/B tests, single-flow user studies, technical spikes.
Examples: standalone interactive demos, wind-tunnel models, isolated code experiments.
Failure mode: scaling and integration problem. A throwaway that works in isolation may fail when integrated or at scale.
For incrementally building toward the final design.
Use for: MVPs that grow into products, iterative startup development, products with uncertain requirements.
Examples: software MVPs, agile sprint outputs, lean startup builds.
Failure mode: tunnel vision. Iterations refine the current direction; teams may miss fundamentally better directions.
| Situation | Prototype kind |
|---|---|
| Exploring ideas; "is this worth doing?" | Concept |
| Testing one specific question | Throwaway |
| Iterating toward a final product | Evolutionary |
| Stakeholder alignment | Concept |
| Performance benchmark | Throwaway |
| Scaling a startup | Evolutionary |
The kinds aren't mutually exclusive. A typical project uses concept prototypes early (to align), throwaway prototypes mid (to test specifics), and evolutionary prototypes late (to ship and refine).
A common pattern:
Each kind catches different issues; using all three reduces the risk of any single failure mode.