Proof of Concepts and Prototypes

To help you make the most of your Digital Transformation journey, we carry out both Prototyping and Proof of Concept (PoC). Both of our approaches validate development ideas and mitigate risks. So, what’s the difference between the two?

A prototype

• is a tangible model or representation of a conceptual idea, product, system interface or part of a workflow.
• Prototypes are typically developed to gather feedback, test design concepts, and validate usability. They can be interactive, allowing users to engage with the design and provide valuable insights for further refinement, but usually there is no coding work included.
• There are different levels of prototypes - ether lo-fi or high fidelity prototypes: Typical purpose of prototype is to demonstrate or test how an idea will could work (lo-fi/quick prototype), or how the final product will look, feel, and function (hi-fi prototype).

The main purpose of a prototype is to save time and resources by allowing user testing before investing in full-scale development. However as technology advances and AI-assisted software development becomes more common, it might open up new possibilities to do more collaborative work also with actual proof of concepts.

A Proof of Concept

• is a smaller-scale, experimental project or demonstration aimed at validating a specific aspect or feasibility of a broader concept or idea.
• POCs are developed to test whether a certain technology, methodology, or solution is viable and can be applied successfully to solve a particular problem.
• Unlike prototypes, POCs may not provide a complete user experience or include all features of the final product in terms of usability.
• Instead, they focus on validating a specific technological hypothesis or showcasing the potential of a particular solution for customers environment.

So the purpose of these both is pretty much the same - validate a development idea before implementation and mitigate possible risks. The difference is in focus: Prototypes focus on validating the idea from human perspective - User experience, design, and functionality. POCs focus on validating the technical feasibility or viability of a specific solution or technology.