Thinking / Implementation
Prototype before specification
A working model can expose assumptions, missing relationships and operational exceptions that are difficult to identify in a written specification alone.
10 August 2026
Specifications are valuable, but operational users often discover what they mean only when they can see and test the proposed structure.
A working prototype changes the discussion from abstract requirements to concrete questions.
Does this record belong here? Who owns this decision? What happens when the normal sequence is interrupted? Which evidence is required before approval? What information already exists in another system?
source material
→ explicit model
→ working prototype
→ operational review
→ revised modelThe prototype is therefore not merely a visual demonstration. Used properly, it becomes a requirements-discovery tool.