A Short Statement
Prototyping is the idea of creating and using a low-fidelity, medium-fidelity or high-fidelity simulated and incomplete model of a design for the main purpose of testing functionality, verifying specifications and verifying requirements.
Source: Universal Principles of Design
A visual depiction from an original source
Source: The Design of Everyday Things, by Don Norman
A visual depiction from a non-original source
Real Life Example