What Do Prototype Developers Do?

Generally, the process of prototype development is one that involves the implementation of concepts that may either be initiated by the prototype developer or by a client, taking it from the point of a mere idea to a tangible object that can serve as a representation of the concept. As such, prototype developers are simply people who work on an idea, concept or vision in order to create a physical representation of an intangible object, something that requires a lot of technical skills and creativity to achieve. Prototype developers may be freelancers, in which case they will be individually contracted by clients to develop concepts, or they might be employed by a larger company to work with a group of other prototype developers to take briefs from various clients and to deliver on such assignments. Basically, the job of prototype developers is one that is performed in increments, starting from the time the job is started until it is eventually concluded.

One of the first tasks that prototype developers do is to obtain information relating to a design that a client wants to achieve, or one that the prototype developer has initiated and wants to achieve. The design might be a very simple one, such as a new design or shape for the bottle of a body lotion, or it may be a complex mechanical design. Whatever the case, the job of the developer is to give the client a workable visual of the design, which is something the client can relate to and a platform for the assessment of the attributes of the design, in terms of profitability and potential success. It also allows the owners of the design to make any type of corrections to the design that might be necessary before it is marked for mass production.

The prototype professional must have the necessary technical and creative skills that will allow the person to grasp the basics of a design in order to construct a true or accurate representation of the same. For instance, if a client has a design for a new type of blender that he or she wants to introduce into the market as part of its product update, this client will hire a prototype developer to create the proposed blender based on the design. This visual will allow the company to actually see what the blender will look like after production, so that it can make any necessary corrections before the product is fully introduced into the market.