Rapid Prototyping Methodology in Action: A Developmental Study

This study investigated the use of rapid prototyping methodologies in two projects conducted in a natural work setting. It sought to determine the nature of its use by designers and customers and the extent to which its use enhances traditional instructional design (ID ). With respect to describing rapid prototyping use, the results pertain to designer tasks performed, the concurrent processing of those tasks, and customer involvement. With respect to describing the enhancements facilitated by rapid prototyping, the results pertain to design and development cycle-time reduction, product quality, and customer and designer satisfaction. In general, the two projects studied show ID ~orts that created products that were usable for a conveniently long period of time without revision; delivered in a shorter period of time than would have been expected using traditional techniques; and received by satisfied customers who had been involved throughout their development. In other words, the rapid prototyping methods lived up to their promised benefits. [] Instructional designers are frequently confronted with demands not only to generate high quality products, but also simultaneously to reduce design and development time. One solution to this dilemma is the use of rapid prototyping (RP) methodologies. RP methodologies should reduce production time because: (a) using working models of the final product early in a project tends to eliminate time-consuming revisions later on, and (b) design tasks are completed concurrently, rather than sequentially, throughout the project. RP methodologies will satisfy customers because they are involved in an extensive formative evaluation of the actual product throughout its design and development. In essence, the thrust of this research was to test these assumptions by studying the use of RP in a natural setting and to suggest a detailed RP design model that would be useful in other environments.