Posted on by mike.black@aceitpublishing.com

Prototyping Models Explained

Prototyping an idea
Working out an idea

How to choose the right approach — from Throwaway to Evolutionary.

Selecting the right prototyping model is one of the most practical decisions a project manager can make. Each model offers a different balance of speed, flexibility, and fidelity. The right approach helps manage risk, clarify requirements, and maintain stakeholder engagement throughout the project lifecycle.

The Main Prototyping Models

Throwaway (Exploratory) Prototyping

Used when requirements are unclear or evolving. Teams create quick, inexpensive models to explore ideas, gather user feedback, and test assumptions — then discard them. Ideal for early discovery, UX testing, or proof-of-concept work.

Evolutionary Prototyping

In this model, the prototype grows into the final product through continuous iteration. Common in Agile environments, each version builds upon the last until the end product emerges.

Incremental Prototyping

Divides large systems into smaller, testable components. Each module is built, validated, and integrated separately, allowing parallel work and early demonstrations.

Functional Prototyping

Built to validate technical performance and feasibility, functional prototypes simulate real-world operation — common in hardware and engineering projects.

The Spiral Model

The Spiral Model formalises this iterative, risk-based approach by combining prototyping with structured risk management. Each loop of the spiral involves planning, analysis, prototyping, and evaluation — but also experimentation. Within each cycle, small experiments or Proofs of Concept are used to test assumptions and resolve specific risks before committing to the next stage. This blend of learning and controlled iteration makes the Spiral Model especially suited to complex or high-uncertainty projects

Decision Table: Choosing the Right Model

Project Context Recommended Model Best For Reason for Selection
Ambiguous / unclear requirements Throwaway Prototyping UX or requirements discovery Quick learning and low commitment
Emergent or changing requirements Evolutionary Prototyping Continuous refinement Allows flexibility during change
Clear but complex requirements Incremental Prototyping Large systems or modular projects Parallel development and integration
Performance or feasibility testing Functional Prototyping Hardware or engineering Validates technical capability early
High-risk, high-cost projects Spiral Model Enterprise or mission-critical work Integrates prototyping with risk control

Beyond project complexity, the type of product you’re developing also influences which prototyping model will deliver the most value.

Choosing by Product Type or Goal

The right prototyping model also depends on what kind of product you’re creating and what risk you need to reduce — technical, usability, or design.

Product Type / Goal Recommended Model What It Helps Validate
Complex hardware or devices Functional Prototyping Performance metrics, durability, and technical feasibility — e.g., ‘Will the robot arm bear the required load?’
Modular software systems Incremental Prototyping Integration between components and efficiency of parallel development — e.g., ‘The payroll module works; now integrate inventory.’
Innovative products or startups Evolutionary Prototyping Market fit and evolving user needs; early MVPs can be refined continuously from real data.
User interface (UI) or UX design Throwaway Prototyping Workflow, layout, and usability; quick mock-ups are discarded once user experience is finalised.
Large-scale construction or design Scale / Physical Modelling Spatial relationships, form, and aesthetic impact — e.g., ‘How does the new wing sit with the existing building?’

Summary

Choosing the right prototyping model depends on what you need to learn, how fast you need to learn it, and the risk you can tolerate. Throwaway models uncover early insights; evolutionary and incremental sustain long-term development; functional and spiral ensure technical confidence. Together, they form a toolkit for turning uncertainty into clarity.

See also: Prototyping in Project Management | Spiral Model | MVP | Proof of Concept

Posted on by mike.black@aceitpublishing.com

Humour

Project management has its serious side — but we all need a laugh. Our Humour section collects cartoons, anecdotes, and tongue-in-cheek observations that highlight the lighter moments of project life.

Posted on by mike.black@aceitpublishing.com

Managing Projects in an Uncertain World

Project Managers as navigators
Project Managers as navigators

Uncertainty is not new in project management, but in today’s world, the scale and frequency of disruptions demand a different mindset. Financial crises, global pandemics, political upheavals like Brexit and Trump-era shifts, and ongoing conflicts such as the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East create volatile environments where traditional linear planning often fails. Project managers need to adapt, lead with resilience, and keep delivery moving forward in the face of unpredictability.

Why Uncertainty Matters

Projects don’t happen in a vacuum. Economic shocks affect budgets, pandemics disrupt supply chains and teams, political instability alters regulations, and wars create humanitarian and operational challenges. These uncertainties can derail even the best-laid plans — unless project leaders anticipate and adapt.

The Nature of Uncertainty

Former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld famously framed uncertainty in terms of “known knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns.” The first are the things we understand, the second are the gaps we can identify, and the third are the most dangerous — the surprises we cannot even anticipate. This taxonomy, when combined with Luft and Harrington’s Johari Window, resonates strongly with project management and strategic decision-making, reminding us that uncertainty is layered rather than singular.

Lessons from Recent Crises

  • Financial Crisis (2008): Projects stalled as funding dried up, highlighting the importance of strong business cases and flexible resourcing.
  • COVID-19: Remote working, disrupted supply chains, and rapid reprioritisation showed the value of digital tools and agile ways of working.
  • Brexit: Uncertainty around regulations, tariffs, and workforce mobility required scenario planning and stakeholder communication at scale.
  • Trump-era shifts: Changing trade policies and executive orders reminded project leaders to account for political volatility.
  • Wars in Ukraine and the Middle East: Energy prices, supply disruptions, and security concerns stress-tested global projects and highlighted the human cost of instability.
The rise of home and remote working in a post COVID world
The rise of home and remote working in a post COVID world

Strategic Uncertainty

The Duke of Wellington once remarked that “the whole art of war consists in guessing what is on the other side of the hill.” His observation underscores that uncertainty is not new; it has always been central to decision-making with incomplete information. Leaders and project managers must act even without perfect visibility, making judgments under conditions of incomplete knowledge about competitors, environments, or future conditions.

The Challenge of Prediction

As the physicist Niels Bohr quipped, “Prediction is difficult, especially when it involves the future.” This paradox highlights why uncertainty cannot be eliminated — only managed. We can model scenarios, but the future resists neat forecasting. What matters is building resilience, adaptability, and awareness rather than expecting certainty.

How to Manage Projects in Uncertain Environments

  1. Build resilience into planning: Use scenario planning and rolling-wave planning rather than rigid long-term schedules.
  2. Strengthen risk management: Distinguish between risks you can mitigate and uncertainties you must monitor.
  3. Prioritise communication: Sponsors, teams, and stakeholders need clarity when the environment is unstable.
  4. Embrace agility: Iterative approaches allow adaptation as conditions evolve.
  5. Focus on people: Psychological safety and wellbeing are critical in times of external stress.
  6. Keep sight of purpose: A clear vision and set of objectives anchor teams when external events create noise and distraction.

Leading Through Uncertainty

In uncertain times, project managers are no longer just planners — they are navigators. Their role is to provide clarity when information is incomplete, confidence when conditions are volatile, and purpose when teams face disruption. Uncertainty is not an obstacle to be feared but a reality to be embraced. The most effective leaders turn volatility into an opportunity: they build resilient teams, adapt plans without losing sight of objectives, and guide delivery forward when the path is anything but straight.

Key Takeaways for Project Managers

  • Accept that uncertainty is inevitable — focus on resilience, not elimination.
  • Use frameworks (Rumsfeld, Johari) to map what is known and unknown.
  • Remember Wellington: anticipate the “other side of the hill” with scenario planning.
  • Keep Bohr in mind: don’t chase perfect prediction; build adaptability instead.
  • Anchor teams with vision and objectives to stay focused amid disruption.
Posted on by mike.black@aceitpublishing.com

The Importance of Vision Statements for Projects

Apollo moon mission
Apollo moon mission

Why Vision Matters

Every project starts with a purpose, but not every project has a vision. A vision statement is more than a sentence on a project charter — it’s the north star that aligns the team, stakeholders, and sponsors around what success truly looks like. Without one, projects risk becoming a collection of tasks rather than a mission that inspires and unites.

A strong vision statement answers three essential questions:
• What are we trying to achieve?
• Why does it matter?
• By when?

When defined well, the vision doesn’t just communicate what is to be delivered, it fuels motivation and decision-making throughout the project lifecycle. It also helps prevent scope creep: when new requests or objectives appear, the team can test them against the vision. If they don’t align, they may dilute focus rather than strengthen it.

A Classic Example: JFK’s Moonshot

A classic project vision statement came not from a corporate boardroom, but from a US President. In 1961, John F. Kennedy set out the vision for the Apollo program:

This nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.

Why does this remain a gold standard of vision statements?
• Bold and inspiring – it captured imagination and rallied an entire nation.
• Clear and concrete – not vague aspiration, but a tangible outcome.
• Timebound – “before this decade is out” gave urgency and focus.

This single sentence aligned everyone from the humblest worker to the engineers, scientists, contractors, and leaders under one banner. Crucially, it gave decision-makers a test: does this move us closer to the goal of landing on the Moon within the decade?

That is the power of vision: it creates clarity, unity, and momentum, even when the path is uncertain.

Vision Statements vs. Project Objectives

It’s important to distinguish between vision and objectives:
• Vision Statement: A big-picture expression of what success looks like, why it matters, and the impact it will have.
• Objectives: Specific, measurable steps to get there.

For example:
• Vision: “Deliver a safe, efficient rail link that transforms regional connectivity and reduces travel time between cities.”
• Objective: “Complete track installation for Phase One by Q4 2026 within the allocated budget.”

Both are essential, but the vision provides the why that energises people beyond the task list. Objectives may flex as conditions change, but the vision endures as the guiding principle.

Why Project Sponsors and Leaders Should Care

Vision statements aren’t just for the delivery team — they’re critical for leaders and sponsors. Why?

• Decision filter – When trade-offs arise, leaders can check alignment with the vision.
• Stakeholder alignment – A strong vision makes it easier to rally support across diverse groups.
• Sustained motivation – Projects often run for years; vision keeps energy alive when milestones feel far away.
• Clarity in communication – Leaders must repeatedly tell the project’s story; the vision gives them the narrative hook.
• Guardrail against scope creep – Sponsors can push back on unfocused additions by asking, “Does this serve the vision?”

How to Craft a Strong Vision Statement

When drafting your own, aim for the following qualities:
• Inspiring – motivates people at every level.
• Concise – one or two sentences, not a paragraph.
• Concrete – avoid buzzwords; be clear on the outcome.
• Timebound – where possible, include a timeframe.

When Projects Struggle Without Vision

Common signs of a missing or weak vision include:
• Team confusion about priorities.
• Decisions made in isolation, without a clear strategic anchor.
• Stakeholders pulling in different directions.
• Deliverables produced, but lacking lasting impact.

In short: projects without vision may deliver outputs, but they rarely deliver meaningful outcomes.

Takeaway

A strong vision statement is the foundation of project success. It sets direction, aligns people, and inspires action.

As JFK’s Moonshot showed, when a vision is bold, clear, and timebound, it can galvanise entire organisations — even nations — to achieve what once seemed impossible. A strong vision not only inspires — it protects. It keeps projects pointed at meaningful outcomes and shields them from distractions along the way.