Prototyping is the process of creating interactive simulations of your product’s design — allowing you to test and validate functionality, flow, and usability before building the real thing.

Think of it as the bridge between wireframes and development.

Types of prototypes

Low-Fidelity – Quick sketches or paper mockups

• Example: Hand-drawn app screen

• When to use: Early ideation phase to explore ideas fast

Mid-Fidelity – Basic wireframes with layout but no visual design

• Example: Grayscale layout in Figma

• When to use: To define structure, flow, and functionality before visuals

High-Fidelity – Detailed, clickable UI with full styling

• Example: Interactive mockup for usability testing

• When to use: For testing real user interactions or presenting to stakeholders

Watch here:

Figma for Edu: Prototyping 101, new basics

Figma for Edu: Advanced protototyping techniques