---
title: "Prototype – a clickable product before code | Sweet Lava"
description: "A prototype is a clickable simulation of connected screens used to test with users before programming starts. See what it catches early."
url: https://sweetlava.eu/en/glossary/prototype/
lang: en
alternate_pl: https://sweetlava.eu/pl/slownik/prototyp/
---

UX & product design 

# What is Prototype?

A prototype is a clickable simulation of a product – connected screens you can move through like a real application – used for user testing before programming begins.

A prototype answers the process's most expensive question – "will this work for people?" – before the answer starts costing months of development. Testing a prototype with five users uncovers most critical problems at a fraction of the cost of fixing them in code.

Prototypes vary in fidelity: from linked wireframes (testing structure and flow) to pixel-perfect simulations with animations (testing interaction clarity, investor demos).

**The limit:** a prototype pretends to have logic but has none – it won't verify performance, real data or integrations. That is what an MVP is for.

## Related services

- [ Web applications & SaaS development → ](https://sweetlava.eu/en/services/web-apps-saas/)
- [ UX audits & UX/UI design → ](https://sweetlava.eu/en/services/ux-ui-ax/)

## Related terms

- [Mockup](https://sweetlava.eu/en/glossary/mockup/)
- [MVP (minimum viable product)](https://sweetlava.eu/en/glossary/mvp/)
- [Usability testing](https://sweetlava.eu/en/glossary/usability-testing/)
- [Wireframe](https://sweetlava.eu/en/glossary/wireframe/)

## Want to know where your product loses users?

A UX audit ends with a prioritised list of fixes, each with a rationale. Scope and quote within a few days.

[ Get in touch ](https://sweetlava.eu/en/contact/?source=glossary-prototype)