Effective Prototyping with Excel

HOME

EP BOOK

EXCEL PROTOTYPING

NEWS & EVENTS

ABOUT AUTHORS

SERVICES

Order @ Online Bookstores
Effective Prototyping for Software Makers is currently available from the following online stores:

Our New Book

Effective Prototyping with Excel, A Practical Handbook for Developers and Designers is about how to prototype with MS Excel or any other spreadsheet application with similar functionality. This book also touches lightly on the larger topic of prototyping. Although the book does not attempt to completely cover the topic of prototyping, it will articulate prototyping as it relates to Excel. For a comprehensive discussion on prototyping, we refer the reader to our first book, Effective Prototyping for Software Makers.

Excel is an amazing prototyping tool. It’s amazing because it is the only tool we know that combines these advantages into a single tool:
- Prototyping flexibility and speed
- Efficiency and ease of use
- Professional results
- No special skills required
- Readily available

“Using Excel for prototyping? I don't get it!”

This is a common reaction from people when we first try to describe prototyping
with Excel. The concept is far from what you use Excel for in your daily spreadsheet work. For some it is like claiming that their washing machine can mow the lawn. It is difficult to visualize how it can be done until you see and experience it for yourself .

When you look at Excel, you probably just see a spreadsheet with its columns and rows of cells and worksheets. To understand Excel as a prototyping tool, you will have to step out of the mental model that you have of Excel as a spreadsheet application. This book will show you how to crash that barrier.

Go to the Book Forum now.

Endorsements

Dan Rosenberg
Senior Vice President, SAP User Experience

Collaboration across marketing, design, engineering, and QA organizations is key to the successful creation of a new software product. The Excel prototyping method is the only approach I am familiar with that allows all these stakeholders the same platform for communication without having to learn lots of new tools.

Jeremy Ashley
Vice President, Applications User Experience, Oracle

It is always a challenge to find good tools for interactive rapid prototyping. The authors have created an excellent methodology that allows both novice and advanced user experience professionals to use their knowledge of common desktop tools to quickly illustrate and test their ideas for interactive products.

HOME