Geographical area of service: Northern
California."A proto...what?"
For several years my business card carried the heading "Precision
Prototypes." A few people queried me, "What's a prototype?"
Well, needless to say I had violated a basic principle of advertising and I will not use
such an expression on a business card again. But I don't want to scare people away
from the website, and I do have the space to explain, and it may be edifying to know what
prototypes are and why they are advertised here.
A prototype is an abstract concept turned into a testable reality. From the Greek words protos = first, and typos = model or form. The use of this word in modern, high tech English has evolved to envisage a vast range of Rube Goldberg contraptions and inventors with such devices filling the waiting rooms of patent attorneys.
But truly a prototype is a tool. Designers in any field need a way to incorporate the principles of their discipline into a testable medium before committing perhaps millions of dollars to a serious construction project.
A practical and personal application
When I composed this page my wife and I were considering moving. I enlarged the
layouts of the prospective homes, cut out scale-model outlines of our furniture and,
voila, my wife had a prototype; a doll house-like arrangement that allowed her to
present a plan to the movers that will reduce the "surprise" factor when we open
the door and find something that simply doesn't fit.
Geographical area of service: Northern
California.
Copyright (C) Jardine Electronic Services 1997-2008
Last updated February, 2008. Comments or questions?