You may be eager to start coding or designing the electronics too quickly. Fight the urge. Best thing is to start with a simple paper design. You can get peers and hopefully customers to provide feedback. Paper designs are inexpensive and more valuable than words. Moreover, know your objectives and stick to them. There are two reasons to prototype:
the first is to test the feasibility of hardware or software architecture
second is to create a demonstration and gain customer feedback so you can price and put value on your innovation
Keep this in mind and be careful to not to fall in love with the process. Prototyping is fun and innovators love to tinker, but you want to invest just enough time and work to meet the objectives.
This means that design should be modular so that you can adapt them to meet customer's unforseen needs. Customers ultimately decide how to use your product and not you. However, how to keep the prototype cost low?
Cost is always important, but your goal with prototype is to be within striking distance of a profitable design. Initially, focus on proving the value of your innovation, and design with modularity in mind. Focus on securing your first set of customers and then work on cost optimization.
The ideal situation is to design a prototype you can produce and distribute in high volume.
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