Whether as a single piece or in preparation for a series run, we see the production of a prototype as a multifaceted illustration of a concept. Prototypes can be as varied as the industry we create them for but, to simplify, we can group the nature of the prototypes we build as:

Design Prototype: A concept model to examine the aesthetic and ergonomic features
Technical Prototype: A test model to verify and confirm functionality in preparation for production
Function prototype: A finalised product which has evolved from the previous processes