The full module reading combining all sections on building functional prototypes and preparing for usability testing, serving as the primary text learners work through from start to finish.
Topics
This module covers 6 topics. Open a topic to see its subtopics.
Module Content
21 items.
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A reading explaining why static mockups eventually fall short and what distinguishes a truly 'functional' prototype that responds to real input, errors, and edge cases, used to build conceptual grounding before learners start coding.
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A reading on practical strategies for translating polished visual designs into working code without losing fidelity or introducing miscommunication, useful when learners plan their own handoff from mockup to prototype.
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A reading covering tooling choices, version control, collaboration workflows, and efficient build practices that teams should settle before writing prototype code, used as a setup checklist for project teams.
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A reading on writing user proficiency surveys that capture participants' technology experience, domain familiarity, and product history so researchers can interpret usability results in context — used when recruiting and screening test participants.
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A reading on constructing a usability testing protocol that standardizes task wording, facilitator behavior, and session flow from greeting to debrief, used as a guide for drafting the study's governing document.
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A reading on keeping prototype development and test protocol design aligned as parallel workstreams so the build actually supports the planned tasks, used as a final readiness check before testing begins.
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This reading explains why static mockups are insufficient for serious design validation and introduces the concept of functional prototypes, covering what makes a prototype 'functional,' the trade-offs involved, and how teams decide when to make the transition from static screens to working, interactive builds.
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This reading covers strategies for translating polished design mockups into coded prototypes, addressing common pitfalls in the handoff process and providing guidance on how designers and developers can collaborate to maintain consistency between visual intent and functional behavior.
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This reading walks through the decisions and steps involved in setting up a development environment for prototype building, including tool selection, collaboration practices, and workflow considerations that teams must address before writing any prototype code.
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This reading explains how to design user proficiency surveys administered before usability sessions, covering why participant background—such as technology experience, domain familiarity, and prior product exposure—matters and how to craft survey questions that accurately capture it.
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This reading describes how to design a usability testing protocol, covering the key components of the governing document that structures a user study, why standardization matters, and how to prevent facilitator drift and inconsistency across testing sessions.
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This reading addresses the challenge of aligning parallel workstreams—prototype development and test protocol design—so they are fully compatible when testing begins, offering guidance on coordination strategies to prevent mismatches between what the prototype does and what the test expects.
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This reading addresses the challenge of aligning parallel workstreams—prototype development and test protocol design—so they are fully compatible when testing begins, offering guidance on coordination strategies to prevent mismatches between what the prototype does and what the test expects.
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A reading that distinguishes high-fidelity mockups from functional prototypes, explaining what makes a prototype truly 'functional,' why static screens fall short in real user sessions, and how to judge when a team is ready to leave visual design tools behind for working code.
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A lesson on bridging the design-to-code gap, covering the ambiguities mockups leave behind (empty states, exact spacing, screen-to-screen flow after errors) and strategies such as design specs, component inventories, and developer-designer handoff practices for translating visuals into implementation.
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A practical guide to assembling a development environment for prototype work, walking through language runtime, framework, editor, package manager, version control, and live-preview setup so students can configure a reliable workspace before coding begins.
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A reading on building pre-test user proficiency surveys that capture participant background, technology familiarity, and domain knowledge, showing learners how to write and use these instruments so usability results can be interpreted against participant experience.
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A lesson on writing repeatable usability testing protocols, covering participant recruitment, task selection, facilitator scripts, data to capture (time on task, errors, completion, think-aloud, satisfaction), and logistical setup details for running a study.
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A synthesis reading that treats the functional prototype and the user testing plan as one system, showing learners how to verify that every planned test task is supported by working prototype features and realistic preloaded data before testing begins.
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A combined full-module reading that compiles all six topics — mockup-to-prototype transition, design-to-code strategies, environment setup, proficiency surveys, testing protocols, and integration — into a single document for continuous review or offline study.