Importance of Wireframes, Mockups and Prototypes In UI/UX Design
Anirudh Bhardwaj | 20th February 2018
Wireframes and Mockups are also as important in a design process as a Prototype. When a Wireframe is converted into Mockup, it represents a refined and well-structured version of the final visual design with graphics and images. Undeniably, creating Wireframes and Mockups are probably the best way to experiment with the ideas and extrapolate the shortcomings that might be existing in the design. As compared to Wireframe which happens to be a hand-drawn draft, a Mockup is a high-fidelity model which is also embellished with colors, images, layouts and visual effects.
As a matter of fact, a Mockup puts forward a rough layout of the design. The only thing is, it is not clickable let alone be operational for that matter. For that, we have Prototypes that are as real as the final design. Prototypes are the models and simulations that are mainly used for testing the usability and feasibility of an app or a website. A Prototype brings you face to face with the UI and UX of a developing website or mobile app. They let you analyse the website for prevailing flaws and glitches and shows you how a website will work upon its completion. Although Prototyping is more crucial than any of these, each stage has its own significance in UI/UX design.
Importance of Wireframes
A Wireframe is basically the layout of a website that demonstrates the key functional elements in a website. It’s sort of a Blueprint of a website (also known as page schematic) that provides the visual understanding of a webpage in its early design phase.
First and foremost, the Wireframes help you define the usability of a website in making. They also make the design process more iterative as they maintain a perfect equilibrium between the website layout and other creative aspects taking them one step at a time. Last but not the least, Wireframes help you save time on the entire project as the designs are now more calculated and you can make the changes anytime you want. It also brings a clear picture of what you are building which aids in an easy and fast development.
Importance of Mockups
When Wireframes are converted into Mockups, they fill the visual details such as colors, graphics, layouts and typography. The real beauty of Mockups is that they give a good idea of how the real product would look like upon its completion. Although they are not clickable, they still give you a rough idea of how the website may function. As compared to Wireframe which is just a visual draft, a Mockup is more close to the final version. To say the least, it bridges the gap between a wireframe and a prototype.
Importance of Prototypes
As already mentioned above, a Prototype is the simulation of a final product (usually a website or mobile app) used for testing the usability of the product. It’s a high fidelity model of the mockup which also lets you test the operations and functionality of the product. The main purpose of creating a prototype is to test the product against any kind of glitches, before the coding begins for its development. It also saves a lot of time and money as the developers will know what they are making. And since all the modifications are already made, there is a very little scope of problems arising during the development stage.
