The 5 Dimensions of Prototype Fidelity

How well does what I’m designing represent the final product?

“Hi-fi” (high-fidelity) audio equipment gives listeners the impression they’re sitting near the orchestra. It’s high content fidelity but low visual fidelity. Images courtesy of the author.

The product design process suffers when individuals and teams fail to intentionally apply fidelity to a prototype. Fidelity doesn’t just mean “visual quality.” Designers must lead and product teams must help control five dimensions of every prototype.

What is prototype fidelity?

Ask yourself, “How well does what I’m designing and building represent the actual, final, shipped product?”

You just gauged your prototype’s fidelity.

Every production step before we build the real thing can be considered a prototype. And since prototyping is an intentional act, we must consider fidelity at every step. This is a shared responsibility within a team on every project, though designers are normally tasked with actually producing the earliest prototypes.

Carolyn identified that you can control five independent dimensions of any prototype:

• Visual: How real does it look?
• Interaction: How real does it feel?
• Breadth: To what degree is this the whole or just a part?
• Depth: At a given level of breadth, to what degree is the user constrained?