What is Wireframing?
Wireframes are simple black and white layouts that outline the website such as the size, placement of elements on a page and navigation. Fonts and Colors aren’t placed in this phase so it won’t take away from the site’s structure. They communicate how the website will function.
Having a wireframe to refer to throughout your process will save you a lot of headaches when you are in the iterative process of design.
What happens when you don’t do Wireframes or have ambiguous wireframes?
You are simply calling for a disastrous nightmare ahead of you. By not doing a wireframe, you are:
– You do not understand the flow of the site, especially when it’s complex.
– You cannot put your personas or user stories in perspective of what your clients want.
– You can’t seem to put the pieces of the puzzle together.
“Wireframes are your blueprint to your site.”
Similar to doing sketches for your logo design, wireframes are very much like that. By not having a clear intention, **the idea is hard to grasp.** If someone told you to build a home without a blueprint of the foundation, it will be hard to build upon.
When you skip this phase and go straight into designing the site in Photoshop, you are missing out on the placement of the site and where everything goes. Clients may change things here and there when the idea has not become clear to them. It is a nightmare that will cause headaches in the long run.
Benefits of Doing a Wireframe (Takeaways)
– You reduce risks. Your designs are more calculated.
– Your development team understands what they are building.
– Content creation becomes much clearer.
– You avoid hacks later on in the process.
– Save Money and Saves Time. Everyone on your team and your clients are on the same page with you.
– Get feedback.