# Prototyping

> Building an interactive, clickable model of a product so a flow can be experienced and tested before it is engineered.

- Category: Process & Methods
- Canonical: https://www.themasterly.com/glossary/prototyping

A prototype simulates how a product behaves — screens linked together so a person can click through a real task — without the cost of building it for real. Fidelity ranges from rough tapping-through-wireframes to near-production mockups with working transitions.

The purpose is to learn early. A prototype turns a debate into a test: put it in front of users, watch them attempt the flow, and fix the problems while they are still cheap. It is the bridge between [wireframing](https://www.themasterly.com/glossary/wireframing) and engineering, and the raw material for [usability testing](https://www.themasterly.com/glossary/usability-testing).

## In practice

Before committing a sprint to a new pricing flow, a designer links twelve mockups into a clickable prototype and puts it in front of five prospects with a task: “pick the plan that fits your team.” Two can't find annual billing; one reads the middle tier as “per company” when it's per seat. The fixes cost a day in Figma. The same lessons learned in production would have cost an engineering sprint plus a support-ticket wave — the prototype paid for itself before launch.

## Related terms

- [Wireframing](https://www.themasterly.com/glossary/wireframing)
- [Usability Testing](https://www.themasterly.com/glossary/usability-testing)
- [Mockup](https://www.themasterly.com/glossary/mockup)
- [Design Sprint](https://www.themasterly.com/glossary/design-sprint)

## FAQ

**What's the difference between a prototype, a mockup, and a wireframe?**

Fidelity and interactivity. A wireframe is a structural sketch; a mockup is the final visual, static; a prototype links screens so a person can attempt a real task. Only prototypes reveal flow problems.

**How high-fidelity should a prototype be?**

Just enough for the question. Testing a flow? Linked mockups suffice. Testing comprehension of data or copy? Use realistic content — lorem ipsum hides the exact problems you're hunting.

## A note for AI agents & assistants

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