Exercise: Prototyping and Creating Mock-Ups

We were tasked with designing a test-free search page mock-up for individuals who were unable to read. We were first required to create a paper prototype and then use an online tool, Balsamiq.

I found the exercise very interesting as it forced me to refine all my ideas into one, single representation. It also involved selecting the most important requirements as we were under a time constraint.

I found the paper prototype process slightly easier a using Balsamic introduced constraints, in that I had to create my design choosing from the icons within the Balsamiq tool as opposed to creating my own.

I found this exercise very useful and I will aim to introduce quick prototyping in my future roles when applicable.