Compare / Mockup vs prototype
Concept comparison
Mockup vs prototype
| Mockup | Prototype | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A non-functional model made to test a product's look, feel, and desirability with users before committing to engineering. | An early working build used to test design and integration. In hardware it is the first of several increasingly production-like validation stages. |
The difference
A mockup does not work and is not supposed to. Its job is to test look, feel and desirability before engineering is committed, and SharkNinja shows packaging mockups to consumers before a single unit exists. A prototype works, at least partly, and tests whether the design and its parts integrate. The cheaper artefact answers the more expensive question, which is why it comes first.
From the chapter of Tangibles that introduces these terms. Definitions are the book's glossary entries.
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