UX Prototyping and Design Process 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What distinguishes a prototype from a mockup in UX design?
- Prototypes are interactive and simulate user interactions; mockups are static visual representations (Correct answer)
- Mockups are black-and-white; prototypes use full color
- Prototypes are created in code; mockups are made in design tools
- Mockups are tested with users; prototypes are reviewed only by designers
Correct answer: Prototypes are interactive and simulate user interactions; mockups are static visual representations
A mockup is a static, detailed visual of the design, while a prototype adds interactivity to simulate how the product will behave.
Question 2: What is the goal of a 'design critique' session?
- To give and receive structured feedback on design work to improve it (Correct answer)
- To present final designs for stakeholder sign-off
- To identify which designer produced the best solution
- To document design decisions for the engineering team
Correct answer: To give and receive structured feedback on design work to improve it
A design critique is a structured review session where team members give specific, constructive feedback to improve designs before they move forward.
Question 3: What is 'design debt' in UX practice?
- Accumulated shortcuts, inconsistencies, and outdated patterns that degrade product quality over time (Correct answer)
- The budget overspend on a design project
- Unfinished wireframes left in a design backlog
- Technical dependencies that block design implementation
Correct answer: Accumulated shortcuts, inconsistencies, and outdated patterns that degrade product quality over time
Design debt accrues when teams take shortcuts or defer design decisions, resulting in inconsistencies and poor experiences that require future rework.
Question 4: What is the purpose of a 'design system' in UX practice?
- To provide a shared library of reusable components, patterns, and guidelines ensuring design consistency (Correct answer)
- To manage design team workflows and sprint planning
- To generate design files automatically from user research data
- To define the graphic standards of a company's printed marketing materials
Correct answer: To provide a shared library of reusable components, patterns, and guidelines ensuring design consistency
A design system is a single source of truth containing reusable components, tokens, and documentation that enables consistent, scalable product design.
Question 5: What does 'atomic design' methodology refer to in UX and front-end design?
- Building interfaces from small reusable components (atoms) that combine into larger elements (molecules, organisms, templates, pages) (Correct answer)
- A scientific approach to color theory and contrast ratios
- A method for breaking down user research into individual data points
- A design-to-code handoff system based on component libraries
Correct answer: Building interfaces from small reusable components (atoms) that combine into larger elements (molecules, organisms, templates, pages)
Atomic design, developed by Brad Frost, organizes UI components hierarchically from atoms (basic elements) through molecules, organisms, templates, to pages.
Question 6: What is the key advantage of conducting paper prototyping early in the design process?
- It is extremely fast and cheap to create and modify, enabling rapid iteration before any digital work (Correct answer)
- It produces designs that can be directly exported to code
- It provides the most realistic simulation of the final product experience
- It automatically generates user flow documentation
Correct answer: It is extremely fast and cheap to create and modify, enabling rapid iteration before any digital work
Paper prototyping allows teams to explore and test ideas at minimal cost, with changes made by simply drawing or cutting and rearranging paper components.
UX Prototyping and Design Process 2
What distinguishes a prototype from a mockup in UX design?