Prototype

Prototypes range from simple linked screens to high-fidelity interactive flows. They help teams evaluate navigation, task flow and interaction assumptions. In practical terms, Prototype belongs to the structure and interaction layer. Knowing that layer is important because it tells you what the term can change, what it cannot change, and where to look when something behaves unexpectedly.

The common mistake is to use Prototype as if it also meant Mockup. That blurs two separate decisions and usually sends troubleshooting in the wrong direction. A better test is practical: Decide what the prototype must prove: navigation, motion, content flow or interaction logic; fidelity should follow that goal.

In day-to-day work, Prototype matters when the concept needs to be identified precisely instead of being grouped with a nearby term. The practical value is not the vocabulary itself; it is being able to identify the right control, file, setting or decision when the concept becomes relevant.

A clickable prototype can let stakeholders test navigation between screens before the production interface is coded. That example is useful because it turns the definition into something you can recognize, test and discuss with other people working on the same project.

Use these references when you need documentation-level detail, specifications or product-specific behavior beyond the plain-English explanation above.