Paper prototyping uses hand-drawn interface sketches to simulate the interaction experience of a digital product, allowing teams to test ideas with real users before writing a single line of code. The method was described in detail by Carolyn Snyder in her 2003 book of the same name, and it remains one of the most cost-effective and insightful prototyping techniques available. Its very roughness is a feature: users are less inhibited about criticising a paper sketch than a polished digital prototype, which produces far more honest and useful feedback.
Paper Prototyping
Testing interaction ideas before a single line of code is written
A
Designers Academy
18 November 2026 · 4 min read
DesignMethods
In brief
Paper prototyping uses hand-drawn interface sketches to test digital product interaction ideas with real users, providing honest feedback early in the design process.
