What are the eight common prototype design errors in the construction of the official game website?

　　 1. The prototype design has no clear goal

The first prototype design mistake is to start a prototype design project without a clear goal. Will the prototype be used to test a new website or a specific process (such as checkout process)? Who will be the stakeholders? What is the timetable? This goal will serve as Polaris to guide the whole prototyping process and prevent the project from deviating from the orbit. In addition, a good goal defines what success is and how it is measured. Use frameworks such as SMART to ensure that your prototype project has a clear goal.

　　 2. The prototype was made too early

Usually, designers rush into the prototyping process before they have a clear understanding of the design solution they want. They really want to open a prototype design tool, assuming that the design solution will form itself. The problem is that prototyping tools force designers to focus on details such as layout and alignment rather than advanced design concepts.

　　 3. Using the wrong prototyping tool

When choosing a prototyping tool, you should first consider the fidelity you need. However, most designers use prototyping tools that they know how to use or tools provided by their company by default. This led them to create prototypes at the fidelity level provided by the tool, which are sometimes limited by image based methods rather than code based methods.

　　 4. Use placeholder text and images instead of real data

The prototype should be as close to the final product as possible. When you use placeholder text like Lorem Ipsum, you will get the impression that it is only a test version of the product, which will interfere with the usability testing process. Insert pre-existing content or ropes in the writing department to provide copies and content for rapid prototyping.

　　 5. No priority is given to interactivity.

A good prototype involves more than simple page transformations. It should also provide a real user experience. When creating a prototype, ensure that its user interface responds to user actions in a final design manner. When you don't create an interactive prototype, you will miss the opportunity to get functional feedback, such as how the extensible menu works and the conditional navigation process. Interactivity can give start-ups an advantage over competitors, especially in mobile applications. In addition, a fully clickable prototype will make the design handover and development process easier.

　　 6. Seek feedback later in the process

One of the best ways to take the prototype to a higher level is to solicit feedback from different people throughout the process. Show the prototype to other designers and ask for their feedback. You can also get feedback from developers and product design teams to assess their intuitive reactions.

　　 7. Overreliance on prototype

Ultimately, one of the goals of prototyping is simply to test ideas and get them validated. However, some designers make a mistake, relying too much on the prototype, thinking that it must be perfect. Therefore, they spent too much time and energy on prototyping, which eventually led to excessive prototyping. If you are easily overwhelmed, please focus your prototype design workflow on designing the smallest possible interaction, rather than adding all fancy things.

　　 8. Frustrated by failure

After user testing or stakeholder feedback, your design solution will be verified or invalidated. Although this may be frustrating, you should not consider it a failure. Prototyping is about testing ideas and assumptions, not all of which have been verified. Instead, see it as a learning opportunity to improve your next prototype.