Paper Prototyping
Paper prototyping is a low-fidelity design technique where user interfaces are sketched or drawn on paper to simulate and test interactions before digital implementation. It involves creating hand-drawn mockups of screens, buttons, and other elements to quickly iterate on design ideas and gather user feedback early in the development process. This method is cost-effective and encourages collaborative brainstorming among team members and stakeholders.
Developers should learn paper prototyping to facilitate rapid ideation and user-centered design, especially in agile or lean development environments where quick validation of concepts is crucial. It is particularly useful for early-stage projects, mobile app development, and complex workflows to identify usability issues and refine requirements before committing to code, reducing rework and improving product-market fit.