Alternative Methodologies

Prototyping

Prototyping is an approach to deal with aspects of a full methodology; it is not a complete, stand-alone methodology. In a prototyping approach to systems development, you begin with an initial investigation of the main requirements of the system. It is not necessary to have a full understanding of all requirements. After the initial investigation, a small-scale mock-up of the system (called the prototype) is built and reviewed by stakeholders. The stakeholders point out flaws, which reveals new or misunderstood requirements. The prototype is refined and reviewed. This cycle repeats until the stakeholders are satisfied that all requirements are met. Then the full system is implemented. Some prototypes are “throw-away” prototypes, which means that they are not intended to be part of the final system; their purpose is to uncover requirements and problems. Sometimes, however, prototypes become part of the final system. This is known as evolutionary prototyping.