Dataviz & Design

Prototyping & Interaction Design

What isn't tested before becomes rework later.

Prototyping is the only way to know if the data will be read, understood and used, before building it.

The problem prototyping solves

Why prototype before building?

Most rework in data projects doesn't happen because of a technical error. It happens because the navigation logic only becomes obvious once a real person tries to use it, and by then the development is already done. Prototyping with enough fidelity to test is what separates a deliverable that drives adoption from a pretty file that disappears by the second quarter.

Dataviz & Design Expertise

What Cluster prototypes

It's not a screen. It's behavior: filtering, drill-down, hierarchy by persona.

Three areas where this applies:

Wireframes and navigable prototypes
Low fidelity to validate flow. High fidelity to test with the people who will actually use it.
Filter and interaction behavior
Drill-down, comparisons, context by selection: data interaction logic has its own rules that generic product prototyping doesn't cover.
Persona-based flows
Executive dashboard, public portal or embedded product: each format demands different structure and navigation, and prototyping defines which is which before development.