Assessment of the mono-disciplinary approaches and interdisciplinary approaches in prototyping practice

Traditionally, designers and engineers develop prototypes to visualize concepts and test features. People from other disciplines were less involved in this process. Nowadays, more interdisciplinary approaches are required to solve complex problems in new product development. The evidence showing the value of interdisciplinary approaches in prototyping practice is limited. This study designs a workshop to investigate the values and impacts of both the mono-disciplinary approaches and interdisciplinary approaches in prototyping practice. Technical skills are essential, but soft skills, e.g. communication and process management, can enhance significantly the prototype performance. Fixation effects are observed in both mono-disciplinary and interdisciplinary groups.