This week in class, we looked at the idea of prototyping from several different perspectives. We saw and experienced prototyping firsthand, listened to Mark Barrett speak of rapid prototyping, and watched our peers play several levels of The Beginner’s Guide. All of these really helped to open up avenues on different ways prototypes and prototyping can be interpreted and used. Our own prototypes were very much in the works proof of concepts type products, and one that we as students would have to carry on and develop into final products after having deliberating on them for a while. Barrett’s presentation on game development, and as a subsequent eventuality: prototyping, portrayed them as a quick and dirty product. Prototypes in that regard seemed to be more a brainstorming tool and first step rather than a second step, as seen with the one-to-four-day prototyping period. Finally, there was The Beginner’s Guide, where the “prototypes” are presented more as final products rather than the previous two. I just thought with these three examples, we seemingly have different definitions of prototyping in different stages of development.

                 The different tools, resources, and perspectives that Barrett introduces was something I thought was noteworthy. For instance, he redefined several things I thought I had a solid grasp on up until hearing it. His outlook on what a prototype should be, where every stage of the prototype should still be reminiscent and indicative of the final product, rather than my notion that only the final stage of the prototype should matter. That “the journey is just as important as the outcome” definition was something I needed, and the visual representation with the bike drawing was more helpful than any statement really. Goal setting was another point Barrett goes over, and its yet another thing I felt was useful in any working environment. I spent two years in high school and my first three years of college in architecture, and I guess something I always had trouble with was working towards that important end goal (final structural design for example) with all these smaller urgent goals in front me (in this case, assignments from other courses). Something I eventually realized (after I decided architecture wasn’t my thing) was that all these other assignments were also architectural assignments, and were stuff I could’ve tied in to my final design, and that they were goals I should’ve incorporated along my path to my final important goal rather than as side goals. Barrett’s presentation was pretty much a visual representation of everything I have been hearing up until now, and it was something that was sorely needed to really cement much of it in place.

                Sources

GDC. “Hitchhiker’s Guide to Rapid Prototypes!” YouTube video, 6 September 2017.