If we compare mobile app development with house construction, then the stage of creating a wireframe is the drawing of a building project. In the wireframing process, UI/UX designers determine where the main and secondary elements of the interface will be located. Experience in creating app design shows that skipping wireframing means depriving the project of clarity and complicating the task for developers, which leads to longer work on the project. The longer the application development period, the longer you will have to wait for the launch and attract the first customers. Therefore, it is important to create a wireframe so that in the future work on the application goes faster.
In this article, we will look at the benefits of wireframing for a product and know how to create a wireframe that will become a worthy basis for a mobile app.
There are several types of wireframes that differ in accuracy and detail:
Because at the wireframing stage, it is important to think about how the application will look and work, and not create a finished product with beautiful pictures and correct texts. For this, there are other design versions — mockups and prototypes.
As a result, the process of creating app design looks like this:
In this article, we will look at the benefits of wireframing for a product and know how to create a wireframe that will become a worthy basis for a mobile app.
What is wireframing?
A wireframe is a low-fidelity design image. Wireframes of any project look the same: instead of images, there are crossed-out rectangles and no colors other than gray. In fact, this is just a template for a future application created from scratch. Because of their plain appearance, wireframes are underestimated, but they contain important information for the project:- Main content groups (what’s inside the app)
- Structure of information (where elements are located)
- Description and basic visualization of the interaction between the interface and the user (how the app works)
There are several types of wireframes that differ in accuracy and detail:
- Low-detailed wireframe. This is a low fidelity layout that contains only the main elements. It is usually created to get a clear vision of the future project or to start brainstorming in a team.
- Medium detail wireframes. They also do not have a lot of small details, but they already contain text and some visual elements.
- Highly detailed wireframes. They consist of even more detailed images and unique texts. They are most valuable for later stages of product design.
Because at the wireframing stage, it is important to think about how the application will look and work, and not create a finished product with beautiful pictures and correct texts. For this, there are other design versions — mockups and prototypes.
Wireframes, mockups and prototypes
Mockups and prototypes are two other design concepts that precede mobile app development itself. They are often confused with wireframes by those unfamiliar with design. However, there are significant differences between the three concepts. See the table to understand:3 design concepts
|
Wireframe |
Mockup |
Prototype |
| We have already described what wireframes are. These are drafts with the most important details of the application without color and images. Wireframes contain not an aesthetic, but a content part. Wireframe is a ‘skeleton’ of the project. | Mockups are created in the middle of a high fidelity design to test the visual side of a project and contain various graphic elements and even pictures. Mockups are static, but may contain the actual graphic design of the mobile application. ‘Muscles’ and ‘skin’ appear on the ‘skeleton’ of the wireframe at the mockuping stage. | The prototype is the most advanced version of the design. A prototype is a simulation of the final interaction between the user and the interface. The main goal of the prototype is to check how the user flow works. The graphic content may change in the final product, but the basic UI/UX design scenarios in the prototype should work like clockwork. |
wireframe ➛ mockup ➛ prototype.
❗️ We can help you work through all three versions of the design and develop the application. Leave a request at the end of the article or here to discuss your business idea.
3 benefits for business to create wireframes
Wireframing is an important process not only from a design point of view but also from a business point of view. Mobile app development should not be a problem for your business, so it is important to structure all processes, including creating app design. Start the design process with wireframing. This has several advantages:🔴 Clear vision of how the product will help customers
And not only to the customers. Initially, the wireframe gives the team a clear understanding of what will be in the design project of the application. And if you look from the point of view of the user, then the wireframe allows you to understand how the client will interact with the interface. This step will help create a logical user flow for the target audience of the application.🔴 Avoiding mistakes
The framework will not save you from all errors, but it will definitely help prevent fatal screw ups in the interface. During the wireframing process, you can create several design concepts, and give the best one to develop.🔴 Saving time and money
Finding an error at the stage of wireframing, you will not be dragged into the next stages of creating an application. Therefore, developers do not have to spend time building incorrect code, and you pay money for something that will not be included in the final version of the product.How to create a wireframe? 4 steps
At first glance, it seems that wireframing begins immediately with the creation of layouts. Actually, it is not. Like any business project, wireframing should start with market and target audience research. We have prepared a five-step plan, following which you will create a wireframe.⚫️ Market research
Wireframing market research is the first step to creating a layout. At this stage, you should analyze your competitors and highlight their strengths and weaknesses. First of all, this is necessary in order to prevent common mistakes at the interface. Secondly, studying competitors will help you understand what trends are in the market. When creating an app design, it is important to follow trends and keep up with the times. The interface should be intuitive to the user.⚫️ Figure out target audience
The framework of your application is determined not only by the market but also by the target audience. At this stage, it is important to avoid a common mistake. Often, business people create applications based on their needs. But the application is in demand only when it solves the problem of customers. Therefore, a clear understanding of user desires and pains will help you build a wireframe that later turns into a convenient app.⚫️ Content spreadsheet
Create a table and enter in it all the features that will be displayed in the wireframe. We are serious. Creating a structured and understandable wireframe without prior preparation will not work. Something from the list will definitely not be included in the final version of the wireframe, and rightly so. The application should work in a one-product-one-feature fashion, so don’t try to square the circle. This means that your product should solve one user problem, and not try to please everyone. So a list of features will help.⚫️ Basic & detailed wireframe
When you know what the market and your target audience need, as well as what features will be in the application, it’s time to make a wireframe. First, the low-detailed wireframe we talked about earlier is created. Then it can be stacked and made more detailed. Don’t be afraid to experiment at this stage. A wireframe is your canvas for creating the best version of your app’s design. In the end, the most successful wireframe will go into development. And the task of the designers is to do everything so that it does not return to them. 🙂Wireframe is just the beginning
What is wireframing? This is only the first step on the way to creating a quality application. To create a wireframe, you need to conduct market and target audience research, as well as think about what main functionality will be in the product. If you are looking for app development services to help you create an app, please contact us.Leave a request either in the form below or here. We will contact you and discuss all issues related to the design and development of applications.
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