Wireframe VS. Prototyping: What Is The Difference?
Chances are you’ve heard of both wireframing and prototyping. If you’re an experienced developer, you’re probably familiar with both; but do you know the difference between the two? Both are essential to the design process, though they are not the same. Here we’ll spell out the differences so you can be sure just what function each one serves.
What Is A Wireframe?
A wireframe is essentially a rough digital sketch of the software, website, or application you’re developing. After you’ve sketched the basic layout of all of the design elements, you can create a wireframe to provide a representation on a digital platform.
Wireframes are important for mapping out the rest of the project, through prototyping and on to the final product. During the wireframe process, you’ll create a grayscale representation of the project, focusing on usability and design and letting aesthetics rest until a later time.
The purpose of your wireframe is to show the client and the rest of the team what the final product should look like, and allow for easy collaboration and idea generation. Your client will be happy to be included in the design process.
Wireframes save time and money. By making changes as they’re presented, there’s less of a need for costly revisions down the line.
What Is A Prototype?
After you’ve created a wireframe and ironed out the usability of your project, you’ll want to create a working prototype. A prototype is a rough physical representation of the final product. It allows for testing of the product before its launch.
A prototype is an excellent resource for allowing your client to get a feel of the software or website. They’ll test the navigation, page organization and more using the prototype; and provide valuable feedback on it.
Do I Need Both?
The short answer to this question is yes. Both a wireframe and a prototype are essential to any design. An architect doesn’t begin construction on a building without the proper blueprints, otherwise, the construction process would be a confused mess.
Your design process is no different. Without good planning, the final design will be much more difficult to accomplish, and your team may become frustrated at the lack of direction. Not to mention, the client expects a level of professionalism which poor planning does not reflect.
Including both a wireframe and a prototype ensures that all aspects of the project are accounted for and included in the design. Planning and testing go hand in hand; without one, the other is useless.
A Prototype Is Interactive
Interactive prototyping allows for the users to test your product as if it were the final design. Here, you can ask for feedback on everything from how the app or website navigates to the placement of elements and pages.
By including interactive prototyping in your design process, you’re ensuring that what you deliver to the client is not only complete and user-friendly but that the “bugs” have been worked out beforehand.
A Wireframe Focuses More On Functionality Than Aesthetics
Wireframes are not concerned with how the product looks, but more on how it functions. While a high-fidelity prototype may include graphics and other visual elements, a wireframe is specifically concerned with usability.
This is the “problem-solving” step in the design process. Your design exists to solve a problem or answer a question, and a wireframe is designed to do just that.
The best wireframe tools provide intuitive interfaces that allow drag and drop designs with little coding necessary. This makes the wireframe process simple and straightforward and is especially useful for the inexperienced designer.
A Mockup Is Somewhere In Between
Don’t mistake a prototype or wireframe for a mockup. A mockup is neither but falls somewhere in between the blueprint and the working prototype. The mockup will be a static representation of the product’s final look.
This is where you can focus on colors and other aesthetics. Think of it like a kind of wireframe that focuses more on aesthetics than functionality. It’s usually not an interactive design, but more of a representation of the final color scheme, fonts, and visual elements of the finished product.
Search For The Best Tools For Your Team
The success of a prototype or wireframe largely depends on the tool you choose for each. There are design interfaces that include both wireframe and prototype software, and alternatively, there are separate platforms for each.
Choosing the right tool depends on your needs, but keeping everything centralized within the same platform can make communication, transitions, and collaboration much simpler. Also, including a client remotely can be difficult if you’re constantly downloading and emailing files.
Wireframe-Mockup-Prototype-Final Product
You’ve completed your wireframe, and all functional aspects of the design are in place. You’ve created a mockup to show the placement of visual elements, and combined the two into a working prototype. What’s next?
When pitching your prototype to the client, you’ll want to prepare them first. Be sure to let them know how to use the product, what specific feedback you’re looking for (does it navigate well, etc.) and take their feedback into consideration.
It’s always best to work out any errors before the final product is released. If you’re designing a mobile application, constant updates that need to be downloaded to fix errors can be off-putting to users. With websites, it’s no different. Constant site maintenance can become problematic.
Remember the design process, use great tools, and keep the client involved. If you follow these simple tips, your projects will begin to take on a new life and your reputation as a designer will see significant advancement.
