In today’s digital world it may seem a bit weird to use such a basic analog method. Pen, paper, scissors — you’re all set. But trust me, sometimes the simpler the better. So how to make the best of this method in the design process? I’d like to share with you a case study and my personal experience with paper prototyping.

How does it work?

Paper prototyping isn’t a complicated method and you don’t need to draw, code or have any special skills to use it. Literally, it’s drawing interfaces on a sheet of paper to substitute their digital representations. It can bring great advantages and save you a lot of time during the design process. This technique is really a great tool to design, test and improve UX of your interfaces. It’s also a universal tool — you can use it not only for mobile and desktop interfaces but also for other projects e.g. restaurant menu.

When to use it?

It’s a good idea to arrange a paper prototyping session with your client so you can show what kind of features you are planning to add and check if they are clear and intuitive for users. When testing multiple screens, it’s worth to prepare a mockup of a device — it will be helpful in visualizing the scale and natural look of the device. Believe me, you will be surprised how much knowledge about the usability of your designs you can gain during the session. Users will interact with interfaces and you can observe this process to simply learn more about their experience. It’s really valuable that paper prototyping engages the user at the very early stage, so it enables to shorten the whole design process. It’s also a good way to handle any creative block while working on the project. You can instantly visualise the idea and look at the subject from a different angle.

But what if you are working remotely, your client lives far away and you can’t meet in person? It’s possible to make such a session through Skype, but it’s probably not the most convenient solution. You can try to adjust paper interfaces but still the effect won’t be as good as after an actual meeting. Tools for prototyping online such as InVision or UXPin could be a great help here. You should also bear in mind that paper prototyping won’t be a good technique for big and complex projects. In case of multiple interfaces to design it’s better and easier to use software such as Adobe Illustrator or Sketch.