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Wireframes set the stage for a successful website

Virtual represents our new reality. Ensuring your website remains user-friendly and appeals to visitors remains key to your business success. We often focus on the look of websites – colors, fonts, pictures  – Although of great importance, a solid user experience will keep customers engaged and returning. So how is this accomplished? Wireframes set the stage for a successful website user experience.  

The Value of Wireframes

To understand the value of undergoing the wireframe process, you first must understand the difference between a mock-up or prototype and wireframes. People often use these interchangeably but wireframes include key differences.  We love the way Adobe explains it in their post: Everything you need to know about wireframes and prototypes. They share  wireframes are similar to an architectural blueprint. When viewing plans for a building, you witness the allocated space but not the finished structure. The same applies for websites. Wireframes present detailed outlines of how the space on each website page will be filled or used and demonstrate how visitors interact or “flow” through the pages.  

Creating wireframes in the first stage of website design enables one to discover flaws in the user flow or usability, thus minimizing time spent on revisions throughout the design and production phase.  View a few great examples of wireframes to give proper perspective.   

A website mockup or prototype presents more of a visual representation of the design elements on the page. Tying the user experience to the look and feel of the design. Clients often utilize prototypes to appreciate how the creative will take shape.   

The Value of the Design Process

Wireframing produces an efficient and powerful website.  Key: Understanding the requirements for the functionality and the creative aesthetics or the UI/UX.  This is particularly important to those who include a shopping cart or other integrations. Our top 4 steps:

  1.  Requirements Gathering: identifying your specific needs. How will customers interact with your brand online:  key desired features, and creative design preferences?

  2. Wireframing: producing a user experience for each page of the website to identify flow issues

  3. Creative design:  outline of brand standards, colors, fonts, and imagery representing your brand

  4. Prototypes:  visual representations tying the visual aesthetics to the functionality

Wireframes still remain important today. Interactive tools like Invision allow us to develop an architecture quickly that you can interact with. Outlining this level of detail will save you time and money and ensure the website you envisioned becomes your reality.

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Jesse Brede

Jesse Brede is the founder of Lion's Share Digital, an Austin Web Design firm. His passion is helping people accomplish their goals and live their dreams. He is also the founder of Gravitas Recordings, Gravitas Create and Pivotal Talent Agency

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