Prototype is from c. 1600, from French prototype (16c.) and directly from Medieval Latin prototypus "original, primitive," from Greek prototypon "a first or primitive form," noun use of neuter singular of prototypos "original, primitive," from protos "first" (see proto-) + typos "impression, mold, pattern."

Prototyping is the willingness to move forward with an experiment by building it. David Kelley calls prototyping “thinking with your hands." Prototyping is not only for an industrial designer. Prototyping should be in the hands of financial services executives, retail merchants, hospital administrators, city planners, and transportation engineers. Instead of slowing down the creative process, stereotyping speeds up the process by making our ideas tangible enabling faster evaluations, refinements, and solutions,. Let's get our hands dirty.

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A new prototype, ideas morph into clay, thinking with your hands