If you look at the prototypes of some of the most popular products on the market today, you'll find that many of them looked nothing like the finished products that they helped inspire. This might lead you to believe that they didn't offer much in terms of value.
But in reality, there are many advantages of prototyping products in the world of manufacturing. Without product prototypes, things like bicycles, dishwashers, and, yes, even the iPhone wouldn't exist.
Check out seven reasons why you should consider creating a prototype for a product that you're working on at the very start of the manufacturing process below.
1. Helps You Envision What a Product Will Look Like
If you've been thinking about creating a new product that's unlike anything else out there right now, you might know exactly what you want it to look like. But until you can see it in person, you won't be 100% convinced that you can actually bring it to life.
One of the biggest advantages of prototyping is that it gives you and others around you an opportunity to see what a product looks like. You'll have a much easier time developing a product after putting it through the prototyping phase with the help of a manufacturing company.
2. Points Out Potential Design Flaws in a Product
Once you create a prototype that looks like the product that you have in mind, you might realize that there are some design flaws that you didn't anticipate.
The very first bicycle prototype, for example, called for it to have one very large front wheel and one very small back one. It made it functional, but it didn't make it practical for those who were going to have to climb up on it.
After a lot of trial and error, the wheels for what became the first official bicycle were brought down in size to make bikes work better for almost everyone. But those creating the bike wouldn't have seen the obvious design flaws with the early bicycle without a prototype.
3. Lets You Figure Out the Best Materials to Use to Create a Product
When you're putting together plans for a new product, there is really no surefire way of knowing which materials are the best ones to use to make it. It takes time to test out different materials to see how they respond to being used.
Your first prototype may see your entire product made out of metal. But by the time you put it through all the proper testing, you might find that it would work better with plastic parts in it.
You might also find that you can use more cost-effective parts in a product to save money on manufacturing. It's yet another thing that makes prototyping well worth the investment you'll make in it.
4. Determines Which Types of Machinery Will Be Necessary to Make a Product
How are you going to mass-produce your new product once you're happy with the way that it looks and performs? That's a question you're going to need to be ready to answer at some point down the line.
Your initial prototype for a product will likely be built by hand. But once you have a production process in place for it, you can start to find the right machinery to make the product from scratch.
This can help to keep your production costs lower than they would be otherwise. It can also prevent you from purchasing machinery that won't work well for your product.
5. Allows You to Test the Durability of a Product
The last thing you want to do is release a new product to the public only to have them start returning it to you almost right away because it breaks down too quickly. You could end up with a huge problem on your hands if this turns out to be the case.
During prototyping, you can test out a product's durability and find fatal flaws in its design that will cause it to break down on people. You can fix those flaws so that your product is every bit as durable as you and your customers need it to be.
6. Gives You a Chance to Show Potential Investors a Product
Often times, those who invent products need to find investors to help them mass-produce those products so that they can sell them. Many inventors don't have the necessary funds to produce the products on their own.
If you're thinking about approaching investors and asking them to give you money so that you can produce a product, they will want to see the product first. They're going to be very critical of the product and will expect it to be everything it's cracked up to be.
You can show them your prototype to prove that you have a winning concept. Or better yet, you can show them one of your fourth or fifth prototypes to show how you've improved your product over time and made it into a winner.
7. Gets You One Step Closer to Finishing a Product Off
The second you think up a new product that you want to produce, you're going to be anxious to get it in front of people. You're not going to be able to wait to show people what your product is going to offer.
Creating a prototype of your product will show you that you're moving in the right direction. It'll also bring you a step closer to seeing your product become a reality.
Use the Advantages of Prototyping to Your Benefit
Coming up with designs for a product and manufacturing it without creating a prototype first would be a huge mistake. As you've seen, there are so many advantages of prototyping products that you can use to your benefit.
Do it by creating a prototype for a product and then building on it over time until it's perfect. It'll make you feel so much more confident in your product once you start manufacturing it.
