Wireframing and prototyping
Wireframes are an invaluable tool within UX design, whether created by hand or using digital design tools like Figma, they quickly communicate essential layout information between teams in a cost-effective and efficient way. Wireframes enable designers to make low-fi quickable prototypes without having to wait for high fidelity mockups.
Wireframing is used by designers to successfully communicate designs between teams which enables alignment during the early stages of design development, where multiple interactions and adjustments take place.
Introduction to wireframes
A wireframe is a visual representation of the layout of digital content on a page. It is usually a basic layout of an interface featuring design patterns and placeholder shapes to represent text or imagery. Wireframes are often annotated to provide context to other team members or stakeholders. A series of wireframes can be combined to create a wireflow which shows how a user would interact with, and move between, the wireframes when using the product. Using programs like Figma, wireframes can quickly be turned into clickable prototypes this helps teams visualise designs and allows for early testing, which saves time and money further down the line.
Wireframe fidelity
- Low-fidelity
A low-fidelity wireframe’s purpose is to get initial ideas down as efficiently as possible. A low-fi wireframe is usually composed of shapes, rectangles, squares and circles that represent where elements would go on a page.
- Mid-fidelity
Mid-fidelity wireframes provide a more accurate representation of a screen layout, more consideration goes into determining individual elements or components that make up the page however finer details such as typography or imagery is not used.
- High-fidelity
High-fidelity wireframes convey a more accurate representation of what a screen will look like when it reaches the user. They can include typography, imagery and icons and CTAs. As a result high-fidelity wireframes use a lot more resources to create.
The role of wireframes and prototyping within UX design
Wireframes are used within the development stage of the design process; once you have a set of consecutive wireframes you can build a clickable prototype. Wireframes and clickable prototypes help to quickly eliminate designs in a cost-effective way prior to any development.
Benefits of wireframes and prototypes
Wireframes ensure that UX design and development teams have understood a client’s vision within the early stages of a project. Initial low-fi wireframes and clickable prototypes can be used to facilitate design decisions in a cost-effective and efficient manner.
Supporting your users needs
Communicate structures efficiently
Expedite the design process
Mitigates risks
Why choose Make it Clear
At Make it Clear, we take an evidence-based approach to everything we do. Understanding your organisation, audiences, and the context in which they interact is paramount to the way we work and deliver a best-in-class user experience.
