What characterizes an evolutionary or functional prototype?

An evolutionary or functional prototype is characterized by its ability to incorporate initial requirements and evolve through iterative development, leading towards a fully functioning system. This approach allows stakeholders to interact with and provide feedback on the system as it develops, ensuring that adjustments can be made to better meet user needs and business requirements.

With this prototype, developers and users collaborate closely, and the prototype evolves with each iteration, integrating new functionalities and refining existing features based on user input. The goal is to create a product that is not only usable but also aligned with users’ expectations, facilitating a more efficient development process.

In contrast, quick mock-ups that don’t involve coding are not functional and primarily serve to visualize concepts rather than offer interactive functionality. A theoretical model lacks direct application to real-world scenarios and therefore does not serve the purpose of testing and refining user requirements. Similarly, a representation that lacks user interaction does not allow for the iterative feedback necessary for an evolutionary prototype to thrive, as user involvement is crucial for its development.