If you have heard the term "wireframe" but you are a bit confused about what it actually is, what it is for or why it is useful, this article should solve your doubts.
What is a wireframe?
A wireframe is something like an architect's drawing. It is draft visual representation of the user interface Your site or application. You can use wireframes to communicate four things:
- The structure - navigation and information architecture
- Schedule - for example. hierarchy of pages, as well as positioning of elements on the screen
- The content - the idea of how the content fit in with the design
- Functionality – a description of how the product will work and how people will use it
This is an indispensable tool for any UX designer, and it is useful in many different situations. You can create wireframes at different levels of fidelity (eng. fidelity) and that is precisely why they are such a powerful tool.
Low-fidelity (lower level of fidelity) involves hand-drawn sketches, which are great for fleshing out initial ideas, either for yourself or to present to your team. It is fast way to create, edit and refine your ideas, and it doesn't matter how good you are at sketching. Anyone who can draw a simple circle, square and triangle is perfectly capable of making a sketch of this kind.
Now we move on to what most experts think of first when we say "wireframe". There are hundreds of different tools you can use to create them. Figma, Balsamic, OmniGraffle, Illustrator and UXPin are just a few of them. Wireframes of this type are the way to you communicate your idea to your team, clients or clients. It's a great way to explain your product and exactly what you make.
On the high-fidelity (high fidelity) part of the spectrum, a clickable prototype allows you to design interactions and their flow. Clickable prototypes are a good choice when you test usability. You can use Axure, Keynote, or even create wireframes directly in your browser using HTML.
Sometimes a quick rough sketch is all you need, and sometimes a wireframe with detailed notes of what should be where, what it should look like, and what it's for is more appropriate. It really depends on the project and the stage you are at.
Photo by Federica Galli he Unsplash
Your wireframe should show a level of detail that is just right, no more. So, here are some practical tips:
- Keep it simple – speed and simplicity are key for wireframing. In most cases, we will throw away or delete the wireframe at the end, as soon as it serves its purpose. That's why it doesn't have to be perfectly lined, nor every element placed precisely in a pixel.
- Use the coordinate grid (eng. grid) – Grid helps you create structure and simplicity in your layout. Every decent site today is built according to this principle, so I recommend you to use it too.
- Use short and precise notes - Team members will be reading your wireframe, so don't fail to leave them adequate notes that clearly and precisely convey the point of what you've sketched. Don't exaggerate, just get the point across.
- Encourage feedback – Show the wireframe to your colleagues and ask for their opinion. That's a surefire way to improve it. Feel free to hang it on the nearest wall and encourage the whole team to give feedback.
As you can see, creating wireframes can be relatively easy, although of course it takes some experience to understand how to make the most of them for your goals.
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Source: youtube.com/uxmastery
