<figure class="wp-block-video"><video controls src="blob:https://eduengteam.com/8438bdad-2038-4902-b6ce-bda1c64eaa35"></video></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-pullquote"><blockquote><p>Beginning the prototyping process with sketches and mockups</p></blockquote></figure>



<p class="has-text-align-center">This article series explores a variety of technologies that can be used to create prototypes for your product in development. It's tempting to open CAD software and begin 3D printing,milling,or laser cutting things right away.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center">However,it's usually ideal to start experimenting with simpler,faster techniques of refining and better describing your concept. Sketching and producing mockup designs are two <a href="https://eduengteam.com/2019/11/pcb-prototype-and-assembly-at-low-cost-by-pcbway.html" data-type="post" data-id="1986">prototype</a> processes that use common tools and materials you probably already have on hand.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://maker.pro/storage/yg1Otbo/yg1OtboBEVJroAl08KZjGs11Qs1OEVNkdvUjGmZb.jpeg" alt="Start_Prototyping_SH_MP_image4.jpg"/><figcaption>An electronics interface for an LED panel is sketched on the left side. Various mockup ideas for a peeler from the popular kitchen brand OXO may be found on the right. OXO is known for emphasizing prototyping heavily during product development.</figcaption></figure></div>



<p class="has-text-align-center">When you think of a product design team,or when you look at practically any stock photo of one,you'll almost certainly see a stack of sketches on paper. And,in certain cases,the most basic kind of "prototyping" is the greatest location to start refining a product concept.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/aqmmyfvPT_8
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<p class="has-text-align-center">Another important aspect of product development is product mockups. Making prototypes of design ideas allows designers to pick up and handle an actual object,which can provide further insight into their concepts.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center">The processed product design agency Smart Design used to build the OXO Good Grips peeler is shown in the video below,which is an excerpt from the documentary Objectified. The designers show off a massive bin full of numerous product mockups for the peeler's handle one minute into the movie.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/EKvak0MrVhg
</div></figure>



<h2 class="has-text-align-center"><em>Sketching Out a Design</em></h2>



<p class="has-text-align-center">Sketching a design will compel your brain to analyze the physical aspects of your idea for a product. Often,the simple act of describing a physical item on paper can allow you to quickly translate an idea into something that could be a real product.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://maker.pro/storage/j2H7PhC/j2H7PhCKlC99nwMiMKJx9S0tcrlHA3tN6WDvFMXV.jpeg" alt="sketching"/><figcaption>The LED panel is easy to install and doesn't require any tools.</figcaption></figure></div>



<p class="has-text-align-center">Sketching is an easy way to come up with new ideas. Because it's most frequently used early in the phase for creating a product,sketching is also a fantastic tool for brainstorming numerous alternative ideas.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center">You can use CAD software to pinpoint the exact components you'll need,but it can also overwhelm you with lots of details if you're new to the program. Drawing is a lot more free-form,even if you are using tools like straight lines,circle templates,and so on. If you use CAD software to make only one <a href="https://eduengteam.com/2021/03/best-3d-printers-2.html" data-type="post" data-id="3534">3D </a>model,you can make it in ten minutes of sketching.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://maker.pro/storage/w9qFtIH/w9qFtIHwqAqUu07NK7INkmDTdEDVoU4AZgOEXUTi.jpeg" alt="Sketching"/><figcaption>This sketch was for a few different potential shapes for the LED light panel for which there is a more detailed sketch above.</figcaption></figure></div>



<p class="has-text-align-center">Another use for sketching as a method of prototyping is as a means of encouraging communication. The money needed to verbally describe a design idea is very challenging to obtain. Basic sketched,and even more elaborate sketches,can be helpful when you want to get across an idea to others,whether they are working with you side-by-side,or whether they are your customers,investors,or backers.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center"></p>



<p class="has-text-align-center">If you're planning to launch your product through crowdfunding,Kickstarter requires you to show potential Backers a prototype of this product. To attract individual backers,you might want to demonstrate that you've spent a great deal of time and effort researching and perfecting your product. This can be done by drawing sketches of the design early on and explaining the context in which the product was developed.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://maker.pro/storage/XpZxLTX/XpZxLTX8nUa2T7Qdt0g6PMqAbgux0MTAirs5V0HB.jpeg" alt="Start_Prototyping_SH_MP_image8.jpg"/><figcaption>This is a diagrammatic representation of the plan of a split design accompanied by the notes for realizing it.</figcaption></figure></div>



<p class="has-text-align-center">Design sketches can occasionally be intimidating to do after looking at sketches done by famous designers. This is particularly the case after researching the Internet for sketches of designs done by professionals.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center">Another significant key to beginning design work is to assume that,like all skill sets,designing it's something that must be practiced to be perfected. The more you do,the better results you will get.To really enhance your invention,you don't need your renderings to be worthy of framing. The main thing to keep in mind is that the purpose behind sketching out designs is to synthesize the challenge involved with carrying out a given concept in real life. Occasionally,photorealistic rendering will work to your advantage,but basic concept sketches can even do the trick.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://maker.pro/storage/8NGjrAC/8NGjrACpW4xRDpFh5MDng2ftpTOxna4H0eSEnQ1N.jpeg" alt="Start_Prototyping_SH_MP_image6.jpg"/><figcaption>This very simple study using only a ruler was useful in verifying how to construct a radio interface to connect ten signal paths together using joints between sections that had four connections each. This sketch is not photorealistic,but it was helpful in refining a design.</figcaption></figure></div>



<h2>Generating mock ups of a sketched design</h2>



<p class="has-text-align-center">Seeing a two-dimensional design in two mediums,whether in sketches or,as will be discussed later,in design programs,is never quite the same as holding the object in your hand. Even with the most spatially-inclined designers,it is possible for errors to occur when developing designs only in 2D. In the process of creating 3D renderings of a 3D model,it is sometimes useful to sketch in 3D to get things out into the real world.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center"></p>



<p class="has-text-align-center">Well-known technologies in the process of creating product mockups can be used for initial prototyping,however,for projects that don't demand extremely accurate dimensional accuracy,such as when researching and refining a product,a more expedient method is to use whatever materials you have in your pantry,such as cardboard,foam,paper,and Play-Doh.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://maker.pro/storage/3TJl13k/3TJl13kg2uIJBHymeBE4FzGbV5XoSG1XlQJjSnaM.jpeg" alt="Start_Prototyping_SH_MP_image7.jpg"/><figcaption>This is a rough mockup of an electronics enclosure made from folded paper.</figcaption></figure></div>



<p class="has-text-align-center">By learning how to efficiently prototype very quickly,you can discover more about certain aspects of your idea,including its shape and size,and the way various components roughly fit together.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://maker.pro/storage/vMUkBPM/vMUkBPMxsHfCItFr0OaKhRFFg2FqA5eksPDiPtRL.jpeg" alt="Start_Prototyping_SH_MP_image9.jpg"/></figure></div>



<h2>Gathering things already on hand is a great way to begin</h2>



<p>When coming up with a new product,some of the most effective early prototyping techniques are the simplest,sketching and sketching out design ideas. Designers often begin thinking about the physical characteristics of a product by sketching out design ideas.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://maker.pro/storage/4Vm89os/4Vm89os2EaouvxFpzORydPrEv2BIF6cD02Qtp5eN.jpeg" alt="Start_Prototyping_SH_MP_image2.jpg"/><figcaption>This is a diagram related to an automated leg robot.</figcaption></figure></div>



<p class="has-text-align-center">Creating a physical product mockup in which designers or others can hold in their hands and manipulate is very useful for developing a more efficient and refined design idea,as well as inceasing understanding of how users will react to any given product design.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center">Mockups of various sizes can be constructed from a variety of materials,such as cardboard,foam,and clay. A valuable benefit of making mockups is that you get the product of creating a novel or new product off the ground,one dull obstacle at a time.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://maker.pro/storage/Y8mvNNM/Y8mvNNMhhjkySIfVKIDNVfEMg1UsJZk0B0V9eX3V.jpeg" alt="Start_Prototyping_SH_MP_image3.jpg"/><figcaption><em>This is a product mockup for a digital food scale by OXO.</em></figcaption></figure></div>



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Using Sketching and Mockups to Begin the Prototyping Process

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Using Sketching and Mockups to Begin the Prototyping Process

Using Sketching and Mockups to Begin the Prototyping Process

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