MOCKUP

In common usage, a mockup is a scale model of a structure or device, usually used for teaching, demonstration, testing a design, etc. A mockup 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 mockups 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.

The shuttle sitting outside the Space Shuttle America ride is an example of a mockup.