A prototype is referred to as a sample or a model.  It is a product in its early stage that is built to test a concept or process.   Prototyping is a learning stage.  It serves to provide information that you can then apply to a finished product that can be offered to customers.   

Prototyping is an important stage in product development.  Setting up a production line to produce a product is very expensive.  You don’t want to start production on a product that has a great chance of failing.  Hence, prototyping provides that opportunity to test and evaluate all aspects of your product and process to ensure that it meets required specifications, functionalities, utilities, can appeal to your target audience and can be produced in a timely and efficient manner.

Prototyping can be perform in different categories.  These categories allow you to test and evaluate different aspects of a product without worrying about other aspects of it.  These different categories include:

- Proof of Principle:  used to identify which design options will not work, or where further development and testing is necessary.

-  Form Study:   test and evaluate the basic size, look and feel of a product

- User Experience:  test and evaluate how a potential user interacts with various elements

- Visual:  test and evaluate aesthetic and simulate the appearance, color and surface textures of the intended product

- Functional:  test and evaluate if the product will function in the way you envisioned it.  It evaluates the, aesthetics, materials and functionality of the intended design and can serve as the final design.