Introduction - Paper Prototyping: The Fast and Easy Way to Define and Refine User Interfaces - page 16

Terminology Used in This Topic
Terminology is a perennial challenge in any high-tech field; technology evolves faster than the language
used to describe it. Beneath the surface of seemingly innocuous words such as designer lurks a myriad
of meanings waiting to confuse or even alienate people who've latched onto conflicting ones. I certainly
don't want to redefine the English language, but I should explain the conventions I've adopted in this
topic. In most cases I'm using a definition that may be broader than what you're used to, so keep that in
mind if you take exception to how I've used a particular word. I defined earlier what I mean by paper
prototyping, so here are the rest:
Computer, computer. In paper prototyping, a human being simulates the behavior of a computer.
To differentiate the silicon-based entities from the carbon-based ones, I'll use computer when I'm
talking about a machine and Computer to refer to a person who's simulating a computer.
Product, interface. I use the terms product and interface somewhat interchangeably—you might
be developing shrink-wrapped software, an intranet site, or a handheld device. Although product
implies something that is sold, maybe your interface isn't. I use both these terms in an inclusive
sense that encompasses not just the screens but also help, manuals, training, hardware,
packaging, and even tech support. If the user sees it or interacts with it, I count it as part of the
interface.
Product team, development team. Using similar reasoning, product team means anyone who
works on any of the aforementioned, including tech writers, marketing, training, and customer
support. In other words, anyone who has a direct or indirect effect on the end user's experience of
the product is part of the product team. Sometimes I use the term development team, but I'm not
referring only to those who, as a programmer friend of mine puts it, "rearrange 1s and 0s all day." If
you're making/testing/supporting something that users will eventually come into contact with, you're
part of the development team.
Release. Release refers to that moment when real users obtain the official version of the interface
and start using it. Release is commonly used for software, but there are synonymous terms for
other types of interfaces— launch for a Web site, deployment or rollout for an interface with internal
users.
Screen. Although the literal definition of screen refers to a computer monitor, I use it in a generic
sense to mean any piece of the user interface, be it a Web page, LCD display, form, dialog box,
and so on. When I talk about "the screens," I'm referring to whatever it is that you're prototyping.
Test versus Study. Usability test refers to one session with a user. A usability study is a series of
usability tests conducted over one to several days.
Of Interest ... Comparing Apples to Apples
In any discussion of paper prototyping or low-fidelity prototyping, it's important to agree on what is
meant by those terms. People use these terms to mean different things. If someone is using a different
definition than yours, you may completely misinterpret each other's conclusions about the technique.
It's a good idea to keep this in mind as you do further reading on the topic of paper prototyping.
As an example, consider the article "Low vs. High-Fidelity Prototyping Debate" by Rudd, Stern, and
Isensee (1996) . This article thoughtfully outlines the pros and cons of high- and low-fidelity prototyping.
However, the authors' definition of low-fidelity prototyping is different than the one used in this topic.
They assume that the paper screens will be shown to users rather than having users interact with them
in the context of completing tasks. This is a very important difference, so it's no wonder that some of
their conclusions about paper prototyping appear to contradict mine. If you read the article carefully,
though, you'll realize that the different definitions are at the heart of the apparent discrepancies. Once
you account for the terminology differences, most points of disagreement vanish.
Whenever I hear someone start talking about paper prototyping, I've learned to ask, "Please tell me
what you mean by paper prototyping." This often prevents me from misinterpreting what they're talking
about.