If you create interfaces, you may have heard of paper prototyping. It’s a technique that lets you mock up, test, and refine a design — totally on paper — before you write a line of code.
The Paper Prototyping site (and associated book) describes this practice as "a variation of usability testing where representative users perform realistic tasks by interacting with a paper version of the interface that is manipulated by a person ‘playing computer,’ who doesn’t explain how the interface is intended to work."Other articles on the subject (taken from CV, who also has a story to tell on the subject) include:
<ul><li>Six Signs That You Should Use Paper Prototyping
Paper prototyping lets you conduct informal usability tests with real users early in the project, before the design is cast in concrete code. This article presents six signs that your project could benefit from paper prototyping.</li>
<li>Paper Prototyping
Wouldn’t it be great to find out what users (and marketing) want before you start coding? Paper prototyping lets you do just that. While it may seem counterintuitive to test an interface without using a computer, paper prototyping lets you get maximum feedback for minimum effort. After a few usability tests with a paper prototype, you’ll have confidence that you’re implementing the right thing.</li>
<li>Paper Prototyping: Getting User Data Before You Code
With a paper prototype, you can user test early design ideas at an extremely low cost. Doing so lets you fix usability problems before you waste money implementing something that doesn’t work.</li>
<li>[url=http://world.std.com/%7Euieweb/paper.htm]Using Paper Prototypes to Manage Risk[/url]
There are no rewards in life for being the first one with the wrong answer. Imagine spending years building a product, only to learn that it missed the needs of its intended market. History is littered with the carcasses of failed products and the companies that built them – product development is indeed a risky business. </li>
<li>Five Paper Prototyping Tips
Paper-based prototyping bypasses the time and effort required to create a working, coded user interface. Instead, it relies on very simple tools like paper, scissors, and stickies. Even in applications where new technologies are deployed, paper provides maximum speed and flexibility. Equally important is that everyone on the development team can stay closely involved and productive in the process of creating a paper-based design.</li></ul>