Paper Prototyping
Updated 2026-08-13
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
Paper prototyping is the practice of sketching interfaces, screens, and flows on paper and having users walk through them as if they were working software, with a person changing the sheets to simulate transitions. The core proposition is that the cheapest possible representation still exposes the real problems in a design, because users respond to structure and flow rather than to visual fidelity, so testing early avoids expensive rework later. The key qualification is fidelity discipline: the more polished the sketch, the more testers respond to its finish rather than to its structure, and the greater the temptation to defend work already invested in.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Sketch-first rule: draw the key screens and flows before opening any design tool. - Walkthrough test: have a user tap the paper while you swap sheets to simulate the flow. - Fidelity cap: keep the sketch rough so feedback addresses structure rather than appearance.
Anchor fast decisions
Development effort creates attachment, which makes designers defend decisions and users reluctant to criticize finished work. Paper removes both effects, since nothing is invested and nothing looks final, so structural problems surface while they are cheap to correct. Because each revision costs only a redraw, several design generations can be tested in the time one coded version would take.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_prototypingverified
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