We use prototyping only for storytelling | Documents<br>We use prototyping only for storytelling<br>byKadhir Mani<br>(1.1 minutes)

Early Prototyping ExperimentsPrototyping (through tools like Lovable, V0, Replit, etc) went through two failed framings for us.First, we treated prototyping as the handoff mechanism between design and engineering. Then, we pushed further and tried using it to make both disciplines self-sufficient, effectively blurring the line between the two roles.Both attempts proved difficult in practice.We found the design/engineering split exists for a reason: focusing on one dimension, either technical implementation or UI/UX, lets each get fully thought through.When we tried to reuse the code from a prototype, we ended up in a weird middle ground where it was neither fully thought through UI/UX nor a fully thought through technical implementation.<br>Prototyping as StorytellingAfter much iteration, we now think of prototyping as a way to tell a better story.Under this lens, nobody looks at the code, nor thinks too critically about the UI/UX. The prototype isn't judged as an engineering artifact or a design deliverable, it's judged purely on how well it communicates an idea between people.This reframing also resolved the ambiguity about where prototyping belongs in the process. Once it's understood as a communication tool rather than a technical or design artifact, its place becomes obvious: wherever ideas need to be shared clearly between people.<br>What do you think? Does this framing match how prototypes end up being used in practice for you?<br>Powered by ProductNow