Topic 2.2: Prototyping techniques Questions

What does the 'fidelity' of a prototype refer to?

Which question can ONLY be answered by a physical prototype?

At which point in a project is low-fidelity prototyping most valuable?

A designer makes the same handle geometry in three different polymers. What is being tested?

Why are virtual prototypes particularly suited to comparing many design variants?

A prototype is run through 10,000 open-and-close cycles. Which of the five is being tested?

A company is developing a folding cycle helmet. Explain why it would use BOTH virtual and physical prototypes during development.

A team spends three weeks building one working prototype. Testing reveals a design flaw. What is the likely consequence?

What is the defining convention of an isometric drawing?

What is the primary purpose of a prototype?

A designer of a wheelchair-accessible kitchen wants to confirm that a seated user can reach every control. Justify the virtual prototyping tools you would use, and state their limits.

A designer states that a virtual prototype has proved a new power-drill grip is comfortable. Explain why this claim cannot be supported, and state what would settle it.

Which is an advantage of LOW-fidelity prototyping?

Why do designers sketch rather than go straight to CAD when generating ideas?

Which is NOT a purpose of prototyping?

A designer developing a hand-held garden trimmer has eight weeks. Justify the prototype fidelity you would use in week 1 and in week 6.

Which drawing technique is INFORMAL?

Which rapid prototyping technique requires no support structures?

Which drawing type would a designer use to communicate the assembly sequence of a flat-pack shelf?

A designer is developing a wall-mounted first-aid cabinet. Outline the drawing technique appropriate at four stages: generating ideas, presenting the concept to the client, specifying it for the workshop, and preparing the fitting instructions.