Abstract
This paper focuses on the problem of pre-implementation testing of design support tools. Typical research in development of design support tools involves a lot of tests that are customarily carried out on partially or fully implemented prototypes. It often requires longer time for tests to be performed and the approach is generally expensive. Our work has resulted in creation of a novel pre-implementation evaluation technique that has been named abstract prototyping. This technique can be used in evaluation of design support tools and methods at various stages of their development. It ensures elicitation of requirements would warrant development of acceptable tools and methods at minimum costs and at a shorter time. In this paper, we present the abstract prototyping technique. We describe the abstract prototyping methodology and outline the initial work on development of the abstract prototyping tool. We also present a practical example on the application of the abstract prototyping methodology in evaluation of new computer based methods prior to their implementation.
