When should you resort to fast prototype iterations for your ultrasonic transducer development and when should you delve deep into analysis and thoughtful design? If done incorrectly, quick prototypes can lead to “shooting blindly” and deep analysis can lead to “analysis paralysis”. 

It’s a complex question, but here is one easy rule of thumb: if you can tell exactly why your prototype did not work as expected, then you are in a good position to do quick iterations. However, if you cannot discern the reasons for low performance and variability, you need to take a structured approach.