What is the purpose of prototyping in product design?

Prototyping plays a crucial role in the product design process by allowing designers to visualize and test their ideas in a tangible form. This hands-on approach enables designers to explore concepts, materials, and functions, which helps in identifying potential issues early in the design cycle. By creating prototypes, designers can gather feedback from stakeholders, assess usability, and make necessary adjustments to improve the product before moving into full-scale production. This iterative process is vital for refining both the aesthetics and functionality of a product.

Finalizing production specifications, marketing the product, and evaluating competitor products, while important tasks in the overall product development process, do not encapsulate the primary function of prototyping. Prototypes are primarily used for testing and refining ideas rather than for formalizing final details or evaluating competitive offerings.