This class focuses on prototyping. The Arduino microcontroller that we are using is described by the team that designed it as a prototyping platform. What do we mean when we say prototyping?
Prototyping is building a model of a system. It can involve many phases, from initial sketches through detailed plans and a series of refinements to building a fully functional model that can be replicated. Or it can be a quick one off that’s put together rapidly to test an idea.
Prototyping is a critical part of the design process. Digital fabrication techniques can help us prototype our ideas rapidly.
Sketches
The process for prototyping starts with a sketch. Sketching is the first step in prototyping, and perhaps the most important one. When creating initial sketches for a project, come up with as many ideas as possible, don’t limit yourself. Sometimes your first idea is the best, sometimes the 30th one is better. Sketching also allows you to anticipate and think through some of the potential problems with a design.
Prepare files
After sketching, create an initial build of the project. This maybe a primitive version, with less detail than you might want in the final version. When using digital fabrication techniques, you will need to prepare the files in the appropriate software for your project. If you are using a vinyl cutter or laser cutter, you would use a vector drawing program such as illustrator. If you are creating a 3D model, you would use a 3D modelling program such as TinkerCad.
If your project is using electronics, at the early stages you wouldn’t worry about hiding them, you can figure how to enclose them later. n the early stages, prototyping is about proof of concept; does your project work? Testing out your project with your friends and fellow students can help you see if assumptions you have made are obvious to others.
Revision
Revision is central to the prototyping process. You might be revising the large or small details of your project, if it is interactive, the user experience. Often the materials you use for the final version are different than your first prototype. Digital fabrication allows you to make small, subtle changes in many different versions.
