Brainstorming ? Research ? Prototype ? Final build
The stage of the XYZ system is the prototype. This is where you get to test all the assumptions you have made during brainstorming and research. Your research will have eliminated some options for you, and now you have something you can try. You might have more than one thing to try, but remind yourself to KISS (Keep it Simple, Stupid).
In the “Birdbath Story,” my research led me to sketch out the birdbath and gather the resources I would need: blocks, cement, a water pump, and tubing. For a simple prototype, I decided to lay out the blocks in the rough shape of the birdbath. However, this approach may not always be feasible, especially for larger projects such as building a house. It’s important to remember that a prototype should be tailored to the specific project at hand.
Great things evolve
It’s important to understand what a prototype is and what it is not. It is not a final build; its purpose is just to test all your assumptions so that you don’t run into any nasty expensive surprises in your final build.
You may have one or more prototypes. Prototypes can also test just one element of your project. For example, in this case, I might set up the water pump and hose to see if it actually pumps water in the way I want it to. I intend to use a solar panel-based water pump. Will it catch the sun in its location? It’s easy to test at this point.
When you learn from your prototype, you can make any adjustments you need. In birdbath, I learned that I would definitely need some machinery to cut the concrete blocks into the shapes I needed; there was no other way. Another thing I learned was that the ground was sloping from right to left significantly, so I would have to take that into account when putting on the foundation.
Failure is good
Like any good test, a prototype is to try to make your assumptions fail. If you can’t, then you know you’re on track. A quick note on testing that I learned along the way: The point of a test is NOT to prove that something works; it’s to prove that it doesn’t work. If you can’t prove that it doesn’t work, then the thing works. Engineers, especially software engineers in my experience, are notorious for making test cases that prove their code works. Kids are especially good at making things fail.
Prototype 1
You may have just one prototype, but you need as many as it takes.
Prototypes are about evolving your idea by taking small steps, not jumping to the end. Prototype 1 gave me the opportunity to mark out the area. I used some bamboo canes to roughly mark the footprint and chalk to mark the back wall. Prototype 1 also allowed me to count the blocks used and make sure I had enough. During this time, I used the bamboo markers to take some measurements and levels. This is a very practical way of gaining a deeper understanding of your project without needing many skills.
Protptype 2
Concrete saw in hand, it’s time to begin Prototype 2. For this one, I removed the grass sod around the footprint marked with the canes from Prototype 1. I allowed generous wiggle room, adding about 50mm (2 inches) to the area of grass removed all around. Prototype 2 is an evolution of Prototype 1; it’s essentially the same, but now all the pieces have been cut and fitted in their places.
Prototype 2 now looks more or less like the final build, but it’s still a prototype. Never jump ahead. After arranging the blocks in the desired order, I can make adjustments as necessary. The next step I take is to cut the channels for the water channel and the recess for the tubing that goes up the back of the wall. I can then do a further test of the water pump in order to check that all works in place. These things are so much easier to adjust as you go. In this prototype, I uncovered such a thing.
I had been testing the water pump at each stage, and while I had allowed for the tubing, I had not considered a place to thread the power cable. It was easy to make an adjustment at this stage. I used a piece of aluminum tubing and cut it to the width of a block. I inserted this in an appropriate place, ensuring the connector plug of the pump fit through.
This illustrates the point I’m making. I’ve always experienced these things. How many times have I built a web page / database combination and forgotten a field with some vital information? Lots of times. And the reason it’s usually forgotten is that nobody usually gets to do any kind of user test before it’s ready, at which stage you’re dealing with annoyed owners and stressed engineers.
Prototype 3
Prototype 3 is going to be the build where I introduce some precision and permanence. In this case, that means my measuring tape, spirit level, and cement come out. I can confidently do that now with all my bugs ironed out.
I move all the blocks to one side and stack them in order, much like a jigsaw. I add some accuracy and level to my dugout channels and then add the cement foundation. I arrange all the blocks in their final positions and thread the water tubing, as well as add the aluminum tubing for the power supply. Another small adjustment is made in P3: Cement is grey, while my blocks are a sand color. So I decided to add some cement dye to the mix in order to color the cement that I use on the visible joints. This should bring it all together and be more forgiving to my amateur block-laying skills. Yet another small evolution adds to an emerging solid build.
Prototype 4
Prototype 4 is all about bringing it home, so I have the final build in sight. This will be my final build candidate. I add in the floor or the birdbath. It’s easy to add a sloping bottom now with the walls in place. I do all the final pointing, and we have a final build! That’s what happens with prototyping when you’ve ironed out the bugs and taken off the rough edges. You’ll find yourself with a prototype that, with a polish, is the finished article.
That’s what prototyping is all about: setting milestones, evolving, and moving towards a great build. This prevents you from getting overwhelmed with the amount of work to do and shows visible progress in the project. Mainly, it’s a very natural way of doing things. We have become too dependent on advanced planning of every detail, to the point that as we make things, we see how they could be better, but we stick to the original plan, solidifying mediocrity.
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