Portfolio: Rapid prototyping & usability testing on wood and plastic models

Dictaphone needed a new microphone for physicians to dictate notes with PowerScribe. We started with quick prototyping in our Group Design Workshop, using wood blocks. Subsequent prototypes were more realistic, as shown below. Usability testing in a radiology lab helped us understand some of the fine details.

The prototyping process

Each successive prototype was more realistic and gave better feedback about button layout and features.


Initial prototypes were made in a Group Design Workshop using wood and stickers.		The next ones used shells of old microphones with controls drawn on.


The final model was created by a model maker from detailed design drawings. Now we could really test button layout.		The final product is very different from the initial prototypes, but much of the design came from those blocks of wood.

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