Eliminating the paper steps from electronic document development saves the environment and reduces time.

Here's how to put online prototyping to work for you.

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Why Paper?

As writers, we put words on paper. It's the definition of our job. It's what we've always done. Even with desktop publishing our product was paper. And, we've always generated paper for products published online.

In fact, an electronic final product can generate more paper than a paper product.

• There's the design and treatment—a paper-based sketch of how the product will look and work.
• There's the content outline, usually again on paper.
• Because designers and writers still often hand their work off to electronic authors and programmers, there's usually a storyboard—a screen-by-screen paper representation of what the product will look like.
• And finally, there's the flow chart—a map of the links in the electronic product.

Why so much paper? Usually it's the approval process. Work must be reviewed at key points. Electronic development can't begin until the path is defined and the go-ahead given.

Unfortunately, many reviewers don't get a clear picture of the finished product from its paper predecessor. And often, fully-approved paper designs and content are met with "But that wasn't what I wanted" when the product is finally published online.

"An electronic final product can generate more paper than a paper product.

And, often, fully-approved paper designs and content are met with 'But that wasn't what I wanted' when the product is finally published online."

The Electronic Solution

Online prototyping provides an electronic process for developing an electronic product.

• It combines design, development and testing into a seamless, efficient flow.
• It ensures that what is reviewed faithfully represents what will be delivered.
• And, it ensures that every development step builds upon the previous one without wasted effort or unused deliverables.

With online prototyping, right from the start, you can develop your document in the software in which it will be published. Reviewers can see the actual product at various stages of development. And, appearance, content and usability can be reviewed together.

How Online Prototyping Works

Here is how the online prototyping compares to the typical paper-based process:

Online Concept
The online concept replaces the outline or storyboard in traditional publication.

It consists of several appearance screens (as many as are needed to obtain approval for appearance items) linked to electronically mocked-up chapters, sections and pages representing the document's structure and overall content.

In this draft, reviewers can not only see the hierarchy of topics, they can scroll and link through them. Because full navigation is not developed at this point, reviewers may need to progress through the document by clicking a temporary next button.

Once appearance, structure and overall content are approved, it's best to fully develop a small but representative section of the material and obtain its approval, as well.

The outcomes of the online concept are:

• approval of document appearance, structure, functionality and content
• an electronic file (or group of files) that will become the templates in which subsequent drafts are developed.

Online Draft
The online draft adds content to the templates created during the concept phase. In addition, as part of online draft development, coding for navigation and any other enhancements is made more robust.

There can be any number of drafts, depending on the need to review content or test functionality. The key advantage of development online is that, because reviewers are reviewing the actual product that will be published, their input can be more specific and accurate.

Online Pilot
Pilots with representative users can be conducted at any time, at any stage of the development process. This gets users involved early, increasing the probability that the final product will be what they want.

The rush to produce a working technical version for pilot is eliminated with online prototyping because operational issues are addressed every step of the way.

Using online prototyping, there should be no surprises at publication.

Advantages of Online Prototyping

Online prototyping has many advantages:

• It reduces development time.
• It maximizes both reviewer and user participation.
• It ensures that reviews are accurate and productive.
• And, it uses everything it creates—there are no throwaway paper versions.

Quick Reference Guide

Online prototyping can save both time and money. Give it a try on your next online project!