This word has a broad usage in the design industry but put simply, a prototype is an early version of your product that’s used for testing.
Prototypes are the gateways to insight. By testing your design with your audience, you’re discovering which solutions work and which don’t. With that knowledge in hand, you can evolve your design to better suit the needs of your end users.
In many ways, the exchange of knowledge through a prototype forms the foundation of human-centered design. Users get to help shape the products they interact with every day, and designers learn how to build stuff their audience actually wants.