Think about the last time you used a website or app that didn’t look or feel quite right. chances are, the design was at least partially to blame. Poorly designed interfaces can be confusing and frustrating to use, which is why good design is essential for any successful business. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the importance of wireframing and how it can help you create a better user experience for your customers. 

What is Wireframing?

Before we get into why wireframing is key to good design, we need to understand what exactly it is. Wireframes are two-dimensional blueprints that outline how you want your website or application to look and function. They can be done by hand or digitally depending on how much detail you want to showcase. Wireframes are a great way to show page structure, functionality, and discover if your intended audience will take the route you intentionally designed when it comes to exploring your site or app. Wireframes are usually done in the idea generation phase, before any prototypes or mockups are completed. This is a great way to test the flow of your ideas before using the time and money to have them developed into a functional item. 

What Purpose Does Wireframing Serve?

Wireframes serve an even greater purpose alongside simply turning your ideas into something visual. Some of the main positive attributes of wireframes include:

• Being user-focused ensures that you are receiving honest feedback from your potential users, stakeholders and designers. It is a great way to prompt your target demographic with questions such as, “What do you think this page is wanting you to do?” This helps you gauge if your design is intuitive enough that the consumer is taking the desired path and understanding its purpose. 
• Simple ways of communicating the purpose of features such as a “call to action” button by visually showing it rather than explaining what it is will help you decide if the design is clear to those who will be using it. Being able to view it in this way also allows you to decide which features are essential, and which ones can be removed. 
• Cost and time effectiveness are a main selling point of wireframes. You can easily use a piece of paper and something to write with to create one. It also provides a way to receive free feedback from those who are most important, your customers. Discovering the main pros and cons of your design early leaves more time for improvements and less time fixing pain points later in the design process. 

Types of Wireframes

The main difference between different types of wireframes is the amount of detail they contain. When it comes to design for them, it can be anything from some drawn out shapes to fully designed buttons and graphics. Let’s take a closer look at the three main types of wireframes:

Low-fidelity

Low-fidelity wireframes are the simplest version of all types, and therefore, are the easiest to create. These are best for beginning conversations around what your goal for your end product is, navigation, and basic layout. They contain simple shapes and content to show a general idea for design. 

Mid-fidelity

Mid-fidelity wireframes are the most commonly used. They better represent the layout of your design, but still don’t include detailed images. Different types of typography might be used to better show the separation amongst content, but color is usually not included. This type of wireframe is usually created using digital tools in order to add the detail that is included compared to low-fidelity versions. 

High-fidelity

Once you reach the later stages of your design process, a high-fidelity wireframe might be useful. This type of wireframe contains more details than the others such as specific text types, actual images, and small amounts of written content. This is because, at this point in your development, you want to be able to see how the interactive elements of your design actually work. The added details within a high-fidelity wireframe help you see how the design flows, and if it is intuitive. 

Helpful Reminders

When beginning the wireframing process, it is important to keep a few things in mind:

• Interactive features are hard to showcase in them, as they are two-dimensional.
• Wireframes for websites look different than wireframes for mobile due to the different size, behavior, and interaction.
• Wireframing is an important step in the creation process because it allows you to receive real feedback from who you hope are your target users, clients, and stakeholders. 

Wireframing is an essential tool for good design and there are many software options available to help you get started. Want to get your design process underway but aren’t sure where to start? Our team of experts at Renegades Media will deliver a UX Wireframe project that meets your needs and helps you achieve your goals. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you take your business to the next level.