01
Identify the purpose and the version being recorded
Give the prototype a recognisable identifier and state what the current assembly is intended to demonstrate. In the display-model example, the purpose might be to discuss the arrangement of moving elements rather than to represent a finished product. Record the relevant drawing versions and the date of the assembly note. Describe unfinished areas plainly. This keeps the record tied to a particular object and purpose, so a reviewer does not mistake a photograph of an earlier arrangement for the version currently under discussion.
02
Connect the parts list to an annotated view
List the main components using labels that also appear on a drawing or photograph. Include the source or revision information needed to distinguish similar parts. For the example model, two visually similar linkages might belong to different revisions, making an unlabelled image ambiguous. Keep annotations readable and point to the component they describe. Where a detail is not known, mark it as an open item. The aim is to let another person follow the record without having to reconstruct every naming decision from memory.
03
Separate changes from observations and next actions
Record what changed since the previous version, then describe any observations separately. A changed component is a fact about the build; an impression about its movement may need further examination. Add the next question and the person responsible for following it up. Avoid presenting an informal demonstration as a completed evaluation. The finished record should connect the identifier, references, component view and change note, giving the team a shared description of the prototype while leaving performance and suitability questions to the appropriate review process.