Working with developers
FileMaker prototyping to test ideas before you commit
A working prototype answers questions a specification can’t. We build focused, interactive FileMaker prototypes so you and your users can try a workflow with real data, spot what is missing and decide confidently what to build next.
Discuss your project Build
Specifications don’t show how work feels
Long requirement documents are easy to approve and hard to picture. Teams often discover the important details — an extra approval step, a field nobody mentioned, a report that matters more than expected — only after development is well under way. Prototyping moves those discoveries to the start, when changes are cheap.
What a prototype engagement includes
Scoping session
We pick the one or two workflows that carry the most risk or value.
Interactive build
Real FileMaker screens with sample or imported data, not static mock-ups.
User testing
Short sessions with the people who will use it, with feedback captured and prioritised.
Recommendation
A clear next-step plan: what to keep, what to change and an estimate for full development.
Good reasons to prototype
- Testing a new internal process before rolling it out company-wide
- Building a minimum viable product to show investors or early customers
- Comparing two approaches to a complicated workflow
- Getting buy-in from stakeholders who need to see it working
Why it pays off
- Less rework
- Problems surface before they are built into the full system.
- Real feedback
- Users react to something they can click, which produces more useful input than a document review.
- A head start
- Because FileMaker prototypes are real apps, parts of the work often carry straight into production.
Keep in mind
- A prototype deliberately skips some hardening, such as full security and edge-case handling.
- Agree in advance which parts may become production code and which are throwaway.
Prototyping: common questions
Small, focused prototypes are often ready for a first review within days to a couple of weeks, depending on scope.
Often in part. FileMaker prototypes are built on the same platform as the final system, so well-structured pieces can be extended rather than rewritten.
Ready to plan the next step?
Tell us about your current setup and what you’d like to achieve with Prototyping. We’ll reply with options, a timeline and a cost estimate.