Mock-up

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (October 2007)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

The shuttle sitting outside the Space Shuttle America ride is an example of a mock-up.

In common usage, a mock-up is a scale model of a structure or device, usually used for teaching, demonstration, testing a design, etc.

A mock-up should not be confused with a prototype. Prototypes are always meant to function, even if not fully so, whereas mock-ups are only meant to look like the real system, and do not function. The two are easy to confuse in software and systems engineering especially, where mock-ups are a way of prototyping user interfaces on paper or computer images. In many cases it is best to design the user interface before code is written or hardware is built, to avoid having to go back and make expensive changes.

[edit] Other uses

Mock-ups are also used in the Consumer goods industry, as part of the product development process, when the size, impression and/or artworks have to be tested and approved.

Mock-up is also a frequently used term when talking about an early layout or sketch of a Web site or GUI program (in this last case, one can use Glade).