" Prototype ? " - try semantic coding

" Prototype ? " - try semantic coding

I've heard a lot about various versions of prototyping technique in my own design work & in online debate space. Over the time I'm exposed to various methods like xhtml , low & high fidelity prototyping. But what wins at the end of the day is: clear & feasible method of presenting prototype which eases the flow in a more efficient way.

To cut the chase,

What is a prototype?
A prototype is a draft version of a Web site. Prototypes allow you to explore your ideas before investing time and money into development.

A prototype can be anything from:

• a series of drawings on paper (called a low-fidelity prototype)
• a few images or pages that a user can click through
• a fully functioning Web site (called a high-fidelity prototype)

It's quite interesting as IA is more of 'organizing-information-scientifically'. In hard-and-fast SDLC scenarios it mostly depends on the best methodology organization adopts in typical Information Architecture & prototyping scenario. I believe, not only publications or online forums do help in IA know-how, but also 'the-final-call' taken by Information architect also plays a vital role in choosing the most feasible methodology.

So its demands the good knowledge of I.A about, scientific & holistic view of application architecture, navigation flow, re-usable components, presentation layer, interaction elements, key-accessing-areas, delivery methods etc.,

Here's the interesting take on various notions of design-gurus on prototyping, in the order of Digital-web's Garrett Dimon v/s the opinions of creative heads of our firm; perse ' re-usable xhtml prototyping' :

“You need to temporarily suspend any notions that prototyping is always throwaway work. If you approach it as throwaway work, it will be. However, if you approach it with the intention of keeping it, you can create modular code that can be reused.”.
- Garrett Dimon via Digital-web.com

v/s

The whole idea behind XHTML is that it separates the content layer (XHTML) from the presentation/design layer (CSS). As a result, it’s quite feasible to create XHTML pages from wireframes without waiting for visual design comps to be completed. The implication is that we can (and perhaps should) create re-usable HTML prototypes from rough/early wireframes. Efficiencies gained.
- Nick | Creative guru

Templatizing common layouts for this purpose shouldn’t be that complicated. The key would be that the content and presentation layers were truly separate. The quality and flexibility of site developers’ output would make or break such an approach.

However, here’s a potential wrench for your works...
I don’t think it is safe to assume that a good Information Architect will automatically have the skills to code standards-compliant, clean, extensible XHTML/CSS layouts. This means that they could find their work bottlenecked by dependency on Site Developers to produce their deliverables. They need to work in the tools that they are comfortable with to be most efficient and effective.
- James | Advocating IA