9.1 Introduction


Prototyping is the process of building a model of a system.
It allows developers to develop a nearly-fully-functioning model of the final product.
The IEEE 610.12 standard defines a prototype as a "preliminary form or instance of a system that serves as
a model for later stages for the final complete version of the system".
In software engineering, prototypes are used to help in the creation of an information system that will be easy
to use, user friendly and accessible for end users.
Prototyping is not a one off procedure carried out by designers.
It is an iterative process that is carried out many times during the development life cycle.
In this lecture we present prototyping, its types, tools and methodology.